


Monarchs and Gods

by soundlesssinging



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bubbline, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 12:48:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 28,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8286439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soundlesssinging/pseuds/soundlesssinging
Summary: Finn is dead. Princess Bubblegum attempts to reanimate Finn's body fearing that a new champion may not arise in time to defend her kingdom. Marceline, disgusted by what the princess is doing, feels wanderlust gnawing at her, but their millennia-long bond draws her to the candy despot. Scorned by an indecisive Marceline, Princess Bubblegum seeks to move on, but an old enemy arises threatening the whole of Ooo. A story of love, dark science, and occasional smut.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I wanted to post this on here, and hopefully get some feedback. I have experience writing scripts, but want to develop my prose. I'm still not familiar with the formatting required for the site so please forgive any lack of proper spacing, etc. Hopefully, you enjoy it the story anyways. .
> 
> -SoundlessS

"This is fucked up, even for you." Marceline was transfixed by sight of Finn on the gurney. He should be dead; his soul finally able to rest after a lifetime of service to OOO, but Bubblegum hadn't been able to let him go. A network of cables linked his comatose body to a choir of humming machines, tracking the man's vital signs, and keeping blood and oxygen flowing through the corpse.

"I have a responsibility to my kingdom, Marceline. Finn was a champion, and I don't know if we'll get another. When Billy retired it took years before Finn was ready to take his place. I can't risk my kingdom. I have to do this." Princess Bubblegum busied herself injecting more of her purple serum into the body.

"He was our friend." The Vampire Queen stared at the princess' face searching for any hint of regret. Marceline's hands curled into fists when she found none. Her fingernails dug into the palm of her hands. The physical pain giving her a moment's clarity

"Yes, and I mourn his passing, but now his body is an asset. I can't bring him back the way I do with the candy people. The science on the human body just isn't there. This is the best I can do." Bubblegum's pulled the syringe out of a vein, and discarded the spent needle. The vampire hugged herself. It was difficult to reconcile the hideous scene in front of her with the companion she'd loved and respected. They had both known him since he was a boy. The had seen him grow up, marry, and grow old. Finn had been a model champion up until he was slain in battle defending the Candy Kingdom. This is his reward for helping Bonnie, Marceline thought.

"This is mad scientist shit… this is wrong." The Vampire Queen stared down at the thing that had once been Finn as the machines pumped the purple serum throughout it's venous networks. The pinkness in his skin had disappeared, replaced with a cold grey hue that matched Marceline's own flesh. His cold lifeless eyes stared up into the ceiling.

"Think of this body as a machine, Marcy. It was inhabited by Finn, but now it isn't. I'm taking all his intuitions and instincts, and making use of them to save others. Would you rather we lose it all?" a hint of tenderness slipped into the princesses' voice. It was her monarch's voice; the same patronising tone she used on her subjects.

"Yes."

"Well it isn't up to you." Bubblegum caught and held Marceline's gaze, and the vampire looked away first. One finger at a time, Bubblegum removed the latex gloves from her hands and began to wash off the blood and viscera clinging to her arms on a sink just outside the operating room. Marceline kept her gaze on the swirling crimson stained water as it disappeared down the drain. It still stirred that ancient hunger buried deep within her. The vampire shrugged off the nagging intuition begging for food.

"Now what? Does he shoot up from the slab like one of those old movie monsters? Maybe go destroy a couple of peasant villages?" Marceline voice dripped with contempt. Bop her one good one on the chin. She'll be out for a little while then I'll bury Finn, and this can all be over, the Vampire Queen thought. Her palms ached as her fingernails dug deeper into flesh.

"It's a process. It'll take a couple of days for his body to be able to keep itself alive, and maybe another ten days before he's functional."

"Will he be the same?"

"No, at least I don't think so. Consciousness is a mystery even to me. I can rebuild his brain, but I don't know what it'll do to his mind." The princess pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He'll have some of the same impulses and intuitions, but for our purposes, it's likely he'll be a whole new person."

"He could be a monster, or a psycho. It's unlike you to take such a big risk."

"I believe in Finn… There was something inherently good about him. I have faith that this will lay the foundation of what he'll become." Bubblegum finally made eye contact. Marceline could see the depth of sorrow in here eyes; her fist unclenched. She fought back the instinct to reach out and comfort her. A part of her screamed for her to embrace the exhausted princess, but no matter how much she longed to rekindle what they had she couldn't forgive Bonnie's crime.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then you'll get what you want and we'll bury him."

"None of this is what I want, Bonniebel."

"I-I know, and I'm sorry," Bonnie's voice wavered, "but this is out of my hands. I have a duty to the kingdom. The needs of the many are greater than what's right."

A silence hung between the two immortals. Princess Bubblegum pressed her forehead into her hands. "It's wrong. Glob, I know it's wrong, but OOO is held together by sacrifice. I can't break the cycle."

"How long did you say it would take for us to find out if your process will work?" Marceline looked back towards where Finn's body laid on the gurney.

"About two weeks, maybe less."

"I guess I'm staying here until then," Marceline shook the tension out of her shoulders. Gob damn it, what was she doing? "Got a place for me to stay?"

"You'll stay?" Bonnibel blinked in surprise. "I mean, if you want to you can stay I'll have Peppermint ready a room for you."

"Hey, someone's got to keep track of the shit you do. Karma's a bitch, and I want to be around if it bites you on the ass." Marceline said, giving Bubblegum a mocking half smile.

"Great, so you're here to taunt me, and you're hoping that this whole thing will blow up in my face."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Marceline walked away. She needed to get away from Bubblegum, and whatever it was she was making out of Finn's body.


	2. Chapter 2

Marceline ventured out of her quarters by moon light. She wondered the halls of Bonnie's tower, letting her memories guide her through maze of circular hallways, and long spiraling stair cases. The shell of the tower hadn't changed; everything was meticulously clean, organized, and regal, but the throng of servants and emissaries that once gave the tower life were gone.

Now, only the only the cold gaze of the machine intelligence running Princess Bubblegum's security network accompanied her as she made her rounds. Marceline's vampire senses allowed her to see tiny hidden cameras scattered about every room, and hear the soft hum of traps priming as they detected a presence of a person. The Vampire Queen started directly into one of the cameras, and wondered what was staring back from behind the lens.

Bonnie has lost her fucking mind, Marceline thought, staring up at the lens. Nervously, she raised her hand to her mouth and sank her teeth into her knuckles. It was a bad habit, and one she thought she'd broken since she'd left Bubblegum behind.

"It pays to be a little paranoid." The voice from behind her made Marceline jump. She spun into a defensive crouch, and found herself facing the circular frame of Peppermint Butler in an impeccably clean and pressed uniform. His eyes shone with the dark intellect that made him an invaluable member Bonnie's court. "It's good to see you Miss Abadeer."

"Holy shit, Peppermint! You snuck up on me, you little creep." Marceline's heart was pounding with a rush of adrenaline, but she smiled and punched the old candy-man playfully on the arm.

"It's a skill ma'am. Got to stay sharp." Peppermint rubbed his arm, and fixed her with his knowing gaze."Might I inquire why you're skulking about the halls?"

"It's not skulking. I practically lived here. I was just seeing what you've done to the old place. I gotta say, the new master of the house is hardly welcoming." Marceline nodded towards one of the larger cameras. The old servant followed her gaze, and gave a little shrug.

"I can't say I care much for it, but things being what they are, it's a necessity."

"Man, what happened to you? Never thought you'd trade in the black arts to become Bubblegum's dark science butt-boy."

"I see time hasn't changed your sense of humour." The savant's face soured.

"I'm a vampire, it's the nature of my condition. Everything moves on around us. We stay the same." With an effort of will, Marceline stopped herself from chewing on her knuckles. No use letting Peppermint see any more of her unease than necessary. She dug her nails into her palm to calm the compulsion. "Anyways, where is our dear princess? I haven't seen her yet."

"She's out, miss."

"Out? As in she actually left her lab?" Her fingernails dug into her skin. Bonnie had actually left Finn's body alone, and unguarded? She could feel the wetness of blood in her palms. The Vampire Queen clenched her fist to stop the blood from dripping.

"Correct, miss. Unfortunately, our princess has other obligations. I was hoping you'd be willing to keep an eye on her. Maybe even help?"

"Help how? I'm not going to steal organs or whatever the fuck it is Bonnibel does these days."

"The princess still has to uphold her duties as this kingdom's monarch. She has to defend her realm from any emerging threats, and we've had reports of mutants prodding closer to the kingdom than usual."

"She's doing this alone? What the fuck kind of operation is this, Peppermint? She's going to get killed."

"Above all things, I follow orders Miss Abadeer, and I was ordered to stay here, and oversee the princess' project downstairs. You were never one for obedience. I leave defying her will to you."

Marceline stood rooted in place. This was it. This was her chance to free Finn from the terrible fate the princess had planned for him. Bonnie would never forgive her, but Marceline didn't care about her forgiveness any longer. She wished she didn't care about her at all. But you do care, her mind whispered. If she dies fighting, you can free Finn, but you'll lose her forever.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Marceline's hands tightened into fists. Peppermint took a step backwards, recoiling from the violence one her face.

"Miss?"  
"Peppermint, you and the other fucking lackey Bonnie has here are a bunch of useless assholes. I need to find her! Where did she go?"

Miserable, Peppermint glanced away from her.

"North, in the Great Woods."

Marceline took off at a run down the hallway. She was in flight before she smashed through a window into the cold night air. She could feel the alien gaze of the cameras at her back. Peppermint's voice floated after her.

"You're wrong, miss. We do care."

 

*************************************

 

Bubblegum stumbled through the darkness of the Great Woods. The whole of the forest was tinted green by her night vision goggles, but she was beginning to suspect that she was lost.

"You're going the wrong way." A voice in the trees chided her.

Bonnie froze, and began scanning the treeline. She couldn't see the huntress, but she was the most skilled tracker Bonnie had ever known. Even with night vision, no one would be able to see the huntress unless she wanted them to.

"Then tell me which way to go." Bonnie twisted the knobs on her goggles, trying to bring the treeline into sharper focus. Her hand slipped to the handle of the energy pistol at her hip.

The brush of fingertips on Bubblegum's neck sent shivers up her spine. The huntress' warm breath was on her ear. The princess pulled her weapon from its holster.

"I could, but what's in it for me?"

Bonnie froze as she felt the point of an arrow pressed against the small of her back.

"Poor lost little lamb. You should never have strayed out of your kingdom. The night in the woods is dangerous, especially for someone like you."

Princess Bubblegum's cheeks warmed in anger.

"I can take care of myself!"

The pressure on the arrow increased to the point of pain, and then disappeared as the point was withdrawn. Huntress Wizard materialized in front of her. The wizard's expression was playful, but her glowing green eyes were serious.

"Clearly not, if I was able to catch you so easily. You're lucky that I cleaned out that nest of mutants an hour ago. It's scared off most of the nasties that prowl around here at night."

Sighing in frustration, Bubblegum holstered her pistol.

"I have a duty to my kingdom to patrol without… without my…" Bubblegum throat tightened painfully as she thought of the body laying in the catacombs of her tower.

Huntress grimaced in sympathy.

"You're plenty lethal in the right circumstances, but when you run into unfamiliar terrain you're vulnerable. You need to trust everyone around here more. We can help you, but only if you'll let us."

"I'm glad there's no one else to watch me fall on my face." The princess laughed wearily.

Huntress smiled, and the expression made Bonnie's heart begin to race. The fitted armoured suit she wore seemed too warm.

_What is the world coming to when a wizard's flirtations are enough to make me feel like this? It's been so long since Marceline and I…_ Bubblegum pushed the thought away. The last thing she needed to think of right now was her former lover's haunted expression of barely concealed loathing whenever she turned her eyes in Bonnie's direction. The princess' heart squeezed, and a painful lump formed in her throat; she closed her eyes against the tears. They misted up the green goggles, but she didn't care. No rogue creature could get past the Huntress, and if Huntress wanted to hurt her, she would already be dead

"Why are you doing this? Luring me out here, and playing these games? Trying to prove you're stronger than me? Undermine my authority? Make a fool out of me?"

Huntress stared at the ground. Bubblegum could see that the ranger-wizard was thinking carefully about her answer.

"This world can be a lonely place." She said at last. "It has a rough beauty to it, but life here is harsh. Most people can't survive it. It takes a special kind of person to survive here, but I've been part of this world for so long that it's my home."

Bonnie was silent. Huntress lifted her chin and gently pushed her goggles off her eyes.

"I wasn't trying to make a fool of you. You're important to this world. Perhaps its most important inhabitant, and I want to be part of that. I've always wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to prove that I'm your equal. That you can trust me. That those people who visit your kingdom aren't your friends anymore. They don't understand the burden you bear, and they're disgusted by your choices. I'm not. I understand, and I admire your conviction to shape the world around you."

Bonnie was blind as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The air was very cool, and the breeze ruffled her hair. She took a deep breath of the night air. She was blind, in the realm of another monarch, and utterly at her mercy. A small thrill crawled up the princess' back.

"This is the loneliest I think I've ever been." she said.

"Let me fix that." The ranger gave a breathless laugh.

The Huntress' footfalls were soft against the grass. Bonnie didn't pull away when the taller woman slipped a hand behind her neck, and pulled her in closer for a kiss. Her lips were soft on Bonnibel's mouth, and she leaned in and wrapped her hands around Huntress' neck. Perhaps she was alone here, carrying a burden that threatened to crush her, but perhaps she didn't have to feel that way forever.

 

***********************************

 

Marceline stood in the trees, watching the two figures standing in the middle of the clearing. She felt numb.

The ranger was tall and powerful. Her arms were wrapped possessively around Bonnie, as if she had found something precious, and never wanted to let go. A quiver was slung over her wide shoulders, and there were a pair of wicked looking knives at her hip. Clearly, she was skilled enough with her weapons to keep herself, and Bonnie, safe from whatever dangers lurked in this forest.

When she'd gone tearing into the forest, Marceline had tracked the mutants to their nest only to find their slaughtered remains. They'd been killed with ruthless, professional efficiency, and there was a clear trail leading away from the bloodshed. The Huntress would never be so careless, unless she wanted to be followed.

Marceline had no doubt that the huntress knew she was standing in the trees, watching her claim Bonnie kiss by kiss. The huntress extracted moans from the candy princess with nips and kisses along the length of her slender pink neck. Whatever this display was, Marceline felt certain that she had been meant to witness it.

The implication was clear. If Marceline wouldn't take care of Bubblegum, someone else would.

The Vampire Queen turned away from the two women in the clearing, and started the long walk back to the tower. Her heart was pounding with a numb fury.

You could turn around, and go back to her. Tell her how worried you were. Her mind whispered. Marceline's hands balled into fists.

_Fuck that._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> I've written about six chapters before I started posting, but I figured I should post one every other day. A special thank to the people who have commented. They've been lovely and it's wonderful to get a little feedback. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. 
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> SoundlessS

Princess Bubblegum ran the back of her pen down the length of Finn's open palm. The fingers twitched slightly.

"He's regaining function of his senses." Bonnibel glanced over at the Vampire Queen standing on the other side of the room.

"Fucking amazing. When do we know if it's a monster or not?" Marceline crossed her arms over her chest, returning Bonnie's gaze with a scornful glare.

Bubblegum turned away.

"It's too early too tell. He's barely starting to respond to external stimuli. It might—"

"Just get him up and walking so I can make my decision. The sooner I can leave you and all your bullshit behind, the better." Marceline's voice cracked.

An uncomfortable silence hung between the two women. Bonnie pushed her chair away from Finn's body, and pressed her fingers hard against her temples. The exhaustion and the stress of the last few days was catching up with her. Despite her best effort, tears began flowing down her cheeks.

Smothering a pang of guilt, Marceline clenched her fist and dug her fingernails into her palm. She focused on the physical pain to drown out the weakness of her sympathy. It gave her a lucidity of purpose.

"With the amount of crying you do, you'd think you were the victim here." The Vampire Queen kept her voice steady. She couldn't afford to show any more weakness. If she were to end things, Marceline needed to make a clean break. "For someone who thinks she's the queen of this planet, it's pretty pathetic."

"I don't give a shit what you think of me!" Bubblegum slammed her hands down on the metal table. Finn's body shifted as the table wobbled under pressure. Marceline eyed him warily.

"Glob knows you don't have a concept of duty, or responsibility! Whenever things get hard, you tuck your tail between your legs and run away! So run away, Marceline. Run back to your petty life of groupies, drinking, and pretending that what you do matters. Glob knows it's the only thing your good at."

Suddenly furious, Marceline stalked across the lab, and grabbed Bubblegum by the arm. Bonnie cried out as Marceline yanked her out of the chair, and lifted her up until they were nose to nose. The smaller woman balanced painfully on the tips of her toes.

"You're hurting me!" Bubblegum gasped.

"Don't you fucking dare talk to me about responsibility. You don't give a shit about anything except your twisted little experiments. Your kingdom is menaced by mutants and you're holed up in your lab, playing with a corpse!"

The princess stared defiantly into the Vampire's violent gaze. "Marceline, you're hurting me! Let me go, right now!"

Slowly, Marceline complied, appalled at her own spectacular loss of temper. Bonnie massaged her bruised wrist. "There. You proved you're stronger than me. Hopefully that comforts you when you're off somewhere feeling sorry for yourself."

"You can still twist the knife better anyone, Bonnie. It's a real talent." Marceline turned away, and stalked towards the door. "I'll be back to see Finn."

Marceline's heavy steps rang on the catacomb's tiled floors as she went. Bonnibel wondered how it had all come to this. She sat down, and opened the a cybernetic interface on her table.

"Tuliad, please show me the scans of the subject's brain activity."

A 3D model of Fin's brain appeared before her, the synapses and regions coloured in to demonstrate brain activity. The scans still showed minimal functions, and nothing approaching levels that would suggest sentience.

"Thank you, Tuliad." Bubblegum leaned back wearily in her chair, wondering how everything had gone so badly wrong. She closed her eyes and sat in silence, save for the whirling servos of the unblinking machine intelligence running the lab, and recording everything.

Decisively, Bubblegum sat upright in her chair. She was filled with a sudden desperate desire to leave the tower; it was becoming a prison to her sorrows. She clicked through the surveillance screens until she reached one overlooking her tower. In the distance, she could see the canopy of the great forest. The memories of the Huntress Wizard beckoned to her.

"Tuliad, inform Peppermint I'll be on patrol. Watch over my projects while I'm gone."

******

"Fucking princesses, they ain't fucking worth it, dude." Keila slapped Marceline's back, and gave her Queen a knowing grin. The two women sat in a filthy, rundown bar. In the background a band of musicians tuned their instruments as they prepared for their set.

"Bringing people back to life with dark science. Whatever happened to good ol' fashion necromancy? Nothing like an honest spell."

"Don't be a bitch, Keila." Marceline stared morosely into her drink. She had little patience for Keila's humor.

"Hey, I'm only half joking. Far as I'm concerned. this is a good thing. Bonnie changed. She isn't the girl you fell in love with." Keila took a drag from the cigarette in her hand, and watched the smoke as it drifted out of her lungs. "Maybe you should try dudes again. They're simpler creatures. Much easier to deal with than girls."

"This isn't about her; this is about Finn." Marceline waved the smoke from Keila's cigarette out of her face.

"I don't doubt that some of it is because of that poor bastard. But I know you, Marcy. You've never been able to let people go. You can deny it as much as you want, but you're upset you caught your little girlfriend playing suck-face with the forest creep."

"I swear to the fucking Glob, Keila, I will punch your face..."

"Nah, you won't. Cause you love me." Keila nudged the other vampire with a wicked smile. "Besides, who's going to listen to you cry into your beer if you punch me?"

"Fair enough," Marceline rested her face in her palms, "so what the hell do I do?"

"I'd just destroy Finn's body, but you aren't going to do that. You're afraid she'd never forgive you, right?" Keila took Marceline's silence as an affirmation. "Glob, you're pathetic sometimes. Then let her finish her experiment. See if the outcome is as bad as you think, then do what you need to do, and be done with her, Marcy. It's time to move on."

A beep, beep, beep came from Marceline's pocket. The Vampire Queen drew a small device from her pocket, and stared at it.

"Shit! Something's happening at the tower." Marceline downed the last of her drink in a single gulp.

"Aw, she's got you on a leash and everything." Keila laughed, sipping her own drink. "Better run back, Marcy. You don't want to be late for your latest screaming match."

"Hey, you're coming with me."

"Fuck off! The gig hasn't even started, and I'm not leaving to hangout at your freak show girlfriend's creepy tower."

"Keila, come on. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need the emotional support if Finn is a rampaging science-revenant hell-bent on consuming the flesh of the living."

"Fine! Whatever, but you owe me, man. I was looking forward to the show."

******

Dressed in her armoured suit, Bubblegum passed silently through the Great Forest. She would never be as comfortable here as The Huntress, but she was getting better as passing unnoticed through the dense underbrush. Still, she knew that no matter how stealthily she passed, one of the ranger would always be able to spot her.

In front of her, Huntress Wizard manifested like an apparition.

"Back so soon?" The Huntress smiled mischievously. "I must've made an impression."

Bubblegum's face reddened, and a flush of heat shot through her body. She kept her face impassive.

Get it together! You're a princess, not a silly girl!

"You said I could trust you." Bonnie said coolly.

"Did I? I don't often offer help, but for you I guess I can make an exception." The ranger circled around the princess like a big cat playing with its prey. "What brings you out of your tower, and into my home?"

"The mutant attacks have been increasing over the last few months. They threaten both of us. I want you to take me to the source of the problem so we can put an end to it." Bubblegum kept her voice steady. At least she wasn't making a fool of herself anymore.

"It's not so easy, sweetheart. If it was I would have rooted them out months ago. There's a lot of them. More than even I can take."

"There'll be two of us. Together we might be able to fix this."

The ranger made a show of thinking. Her eyes surveyed Bonnie, appraising the princess.

"Sure, I'll help but on one condition" Huntress Wizard clapped her hands, and approached the wayward princess.

"What?" Bubblegum frowned.

"You're a guest in my realm and you respect it as such. No tricks, no nothing. Agreed?" The Huntress leaned towards Bonnie, giving the outsider a wry smile. Bonnibel wondered what kind of minefield she had wondered into.

"Those terms are acceptable." Bubblegum said. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. There was an expression of undeniable interest in the Huntress eyes, and Bubblegum clenched her fists to stop herself from reaching out and grabbing the Huntress.

Almost too fast for the eye to follow, the ranger pulled an arrow from her quiver and launched the thermal bolt just above the head of the princess. Instinctively, Bubblegum dropped into a defensive crouch and reached for her pistol. Behind her, she heard the arrow tearing through something metallic.

"That means no drones, sweetheart. You want me to lead you through my forest, I'll do so at my discretion. It's rude to spy on your host."

The huntress slung her bow over her shoulder, giving the smaller woman a wink. As The Huntress began to stride back into the forest, Bonnie turned to stare at the smoking ruin of the drone behind her.

"That wasn't one of mine."


	4. Chapter 4

Bubblegum followed the near invisible trail of Huntress Wizard, through the dark and twisting trees, and over the knotted roots. Her heart was pounding, and her lungs were burning, but she pushed on. Ducking under a low-hanging branch, Bubblegum squinted ahead of her. The Huntress was setting a brutal pace. Even with her night-vision goggles and automated senses, Bubblegum was struggling to leave the few signs that Huntress had left in the wake of her passage.

Coming to a halt, Bonnie stared around her in dismay. The trail had all but disappeared. She searched frantically for signs of what direction Huntress had taken, but there was no trace. She was alone in the Great Forest, her guide far beyond her augmented eyesight. Trying to calm herself, Bubblegum grimaced. She knew that the Huntress was likely enjoying embarrassing the Princess of the technologically superior Candy Kingdom.

Pushing her sweat-dampened hair behind her eyes, Bonnie attempted to control her rising anger. She took several deep breaths, allowing the frustration to leave her as she exhaled. If pride got the better of her she'd never win Huntress' trust. She was a guest in the forest realm, and anger would get her nowhere. She had to do things the Huntress' way. Although the etiquette of the Great Forest was different from that of any other place in OOO, this was still a realm in its own right with its own traditions and practices. As a diplomat Bubblegum could appreciate that. The Huntress had proven that she was her equal, and now Bonnie had to do the same.

The Princess set aside her goggles and stared deeply into the inky darkness of the forest around her. Technology would get her nowhere in the forest. Slowly, she let her eyes adjust to the moonlight. Huntress wouldn't abandon her here, but neither would she offer any help. Bubblegum would have to solve this just like any other problem she faced in running the tower.

"It's just another puzzle, Bonnie." she said to herself as she allowed herself to become analytical. Sight would be of no use. 

Bubblegum closed her eyes, and listened. The soft melody of a flute drifted along the breeze like a whisper. Keeping her eyes closed, Bonnie stepped carefully over the fallen brush, following the sound as it guided her to its source. Opening her eyes, Bonnie found herself standing at the edge of a small grove of young oak trees. Huntress Wizard was leaning against one of the trees, the wooden flute at her lips.

With a flourish, Huntress ended her song. She smiled at Bubblegum, setting her flute aside.

"I was wondering how long it'd take you to get here."

Bubblegum crossed her arms over her chest to hide her frustration.

"Is the test over, or do you want me to chase you around the forest some more?"

The Wizard shrugged, getting to her feet, and tucking the little flute into her belt.

"I'm trying to teach you about my realm, and you won't learn anything if you keep filtering all the wonders of this place through your machines." Huntress met her eyes gravely. The wind ruffled her long, leaf-like hair, and Bonnie stared at the ground.

"I understand what you're saying, but technology is the only way I can rebuild this world."

"This place doesn't need to be rebuilt. Nature always finds a way, and will always reclaim what's hers. If you trust your machines too much, what happens when you can't rely on them? Even machines fail sometimes."

"I see." Bubblegum looked around at the grove. It had been so long since she'd been in such a peaceful place. In the tower, there was always work to be done. If she couldn't sleep, she'd summon Tuliad, and they'd work on one of the myriad of problems plaguing Her kingdom

Alone in the tower with no-one but Peppermint, Tuliad and Finn, she often felt like a machine herself; pushing herself at an inhuman pace to keep up with the demands of running the tower. In the grove, even the thought of Marceline gave her no pain, only a sad wistfulness.

Abruptly, Bonnie sank down beneath the trees. Here, in this place, there were no problems to be solved. Nature found a way to rebuild after the Great Mushroom War. Huntress sat down beside her. The two women shared a comfortable silence. Bonnie felt Huntress's hand slip on top of hers. She tightened her fingers and gripped Huntress's hand tightly.

"Glob, I must seem so strange to you." Bonnie said at last. "Is this how you see all outsiders?"

"You're not like them, Bonnie. You use the machines, but you don't let them use you. But not all problems can be solved with machines."

Huntress leaned in, pressing her lips ag ainst Bonnie's mouth. Huntress's tongue darted in between her lips, and Bonnie felt a pulse of heart rush through her chest. Reaching up, Bonnie twined her fingers through Huntress's hair, and the two women sank down onto the grass. They lay there, intertwined in the darkness, listening to the sounds of the forest around them.

Huntress kissed Bonnie again, before pulling the Princess to her feet.

"I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Bonnie tightened her fingers around Huntress's hand.

"You'll see." Huntress pulled Bonnie through the grove, and deeper into the trees.

The Huntress stood behind her, wrapping an arm around the smaller woman's waist, and holding her hand in the other. Using her body to guide the Princess, Huntress navigated them through the darkness. Bonnie allowed herself to be led through the woods, her body thrilling at Huntress's warmth.

"It's not much farther." Huntress whispered into Bonnie's ear, before trailing her lips down Bonnie's neck. The Huntress' hot breath against her ear drew a soft moan from the Princess 

"It's part of this place. Let your other senses compensate for what you can't see."

Bonnie stopped trying see. She could smell the huntress close to her; the scent of her skin mixed with that of the wilds. She could hear creatures moving around them, opening a path for their Queen and her companion. Bonnie tasted the huntress lips against her own. The ranger's mouth was a burst of ice, refreshing like the spring wind flowing around them.

The Princess pressed herself against the strong frame of her lover's form and pulled her closer. The Huntress hands wandered the length of Bonnie's body, but were frustrated by the sturdy armoured suit encasing her. The Wizard broke off the kiss, leaving Bonnie with a minty taste in her mouth.

"That was something else, sweetheart." The Huntress gasped. Bonnibel could feel the hot, ragged breath of Huntress on the nape of her neck. "But we're not there yet. Just a little more."

Together, the two women left the thick canopy into a clearing, and ventured deeper into the heart of the forest. Moonlight had coloured the world a deep shade of blue, and pools of water poured steam into the night sky.

"This is it." The Huntress whispered into Bonnie's ear.

"A hot spring?"

"Yes, people don't ever wonder this far out. The beasts make sure of that." The Huntress nipped at her lover's neck. "We're all alone here."

"Aren't we supposed to be hunting mutants?"

Huntress laughed, a deep, rich sound that made Bonnibel knees tremble.

"Can this come off?" There was a tug at the zipper of Bonnie's armour. Bonnie couldn't help but think of Marceline. It had been so long since they had been together, and much longer since she had a lover before her.

When she spoke, her voice was soft and sure.

"Yes."

Reaching up, Huntress pulled the zipper down, and pulled the armour off the pink Princess. The wind was cool against her skin. The Huntress stepped back and admired the naked form of her lover.

"You're beautiful." The Huntress whispered. Bonnie felt a flush of embarrassment.

"It's not fair, you're still fully dressed." Bonnie pouted, closing the distance between them. The Huntress' clothes phased out of existence.

"H-how'd you do that." Bonnie asked, taking in the tall lean, sinewy form of the Huntress' naked form. An austere lifestyle and constant exercise had sculpted the Huntress like an ancient statue. 

"Magic." The Huntress smiled. Bonnie rolled her eyes, but ignored the other woman's teasing.

Playfully, Bonnie waded into the hotspring casting flirty glances at her lover as she went. Her sore muscles easing as she sank into the water.

I'll have to build one of these in the tower, she thought passively, letting her cares flow away with the water.

Huntress was floating through the water behind her, the mist obscuring her body. As she followed, Bonnie could see ripples of light dancing beneath Huntress's skin, as if her very spirit was shining so brightly it would burst from her body.

"The forest claims those who belong to it." Huntress said. Bonnie stared at Huntress in amazement, her eyes fixed on the light dancing on Huntress's skin.

What is Huntress? Is she even corporeal?

Before Bonnie could say anything, Huntress was behind her. The swell of her breasts pressed against Bonnie's back, and she could feel the forest monarch's hot breath on her neck.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> First of the smutty chapters. There will be more, but this is something I'm considerably new at writing in prose. I would appreciate any feedback. If you don't want to read any smut I suggest going down and reading the last scene in this. 
> 
> Lots of Love, 
> 
> SoundlessS

Huntress's hands tightened on Bonnie's hips, and the swell of her breasts pressed against Bonnie's back. Her skillful hands slipped between the Princess' thighs, parting her legs. Her fingers caressed the sensitive flesh of Bonnie's nether regions.

She gasped as Huntress' fingers slipped inside her, the rhythm of her hand causing her knees to buckle, but Huntress held her in place and continued her work. Heat built between her legs, an unbearably pleasurable ache that spread through her body. Bonnie moaned as fingers found her clit, slipping over the sensitive skin, and sending ripples of exquisite pleasure through her body.

As the rhythm of Huntress' hands increased, Bonnie could feel any lingering sense of hesitation melt away from her body.

"Cum for me." The forest sovereign whispered into the Princess' ear before kissing her hard. Bonnie cried out into her lover's mouth as the orgasm rippled through her slender body.

The Princess surrendered to the feeling of Huntress Wizard inside her, and the benediction of the forest. The secrecy of this gentle place, and Huntress' seductive overtures were an impossibly heady aphrodisiac. Bonnibel shed her cares like old snakeskin, giving herself fully over to the hedonistic delights that wizard had to offer. She wanted to please her.

Surging upwards, Bonnie bit Huntress's nipple playfully, her teeth closing around the soft flesh. She sucked gently, her hands roving over Huntress's taut body, lingering on the myriad of scars as she trailed her fingers across the Huntress' skin. Her tongue found the hollow of the Wizard's neck, tasting the salty sweat mixed with Huntress' natural perfume.

Huntress pulled her towards a grouping of smooth rocks towards the center of the pool, and climbed up until her belly was level with Bonnie's head.

"Show me how you pay homage," the forest monarch challenged, her voice hoarse with desire. Bonnie knelt before the sovereign of the Great Forest, and pushed the Huntress' legs apart. She gasped as Bonnie's mouth moved over her pussy. The smaller woman's long, pink hair heavy against her shoulders.

Bonnie pressed her lips against the hot flesh between Huntress's legs. Huntress began to rock her hips as Bonnie's tongue flicked out, seeking her lover's clit. Her tongue lavished attention on Huntress's hot sensitive flesh, gently sucking and teasing by turns. Huntress wound her fingers in Bonnie's damp hair, tightening with each wave of pleasure until Huntress threw back her head and cried out with the force of her orgasm. She held the smaller woman between her legs as she rode out the last of her climax.

"Be gentle, sweetheart." The Huntress gasped, loosening her grip on the other woman's hair. Bonnie's eyes locked with her lover as she continued to kiss and lick at her sensitive pussy.

Hungrily, Huntress pulled Bonnie out of the water, and the two women sank down onto the damp moss carpeting the rocks.

"You're good at that, sweetheart. Is it a regular part of your diplomatic missions?" The wizard teased. She pushed the blushing pink woman against the mossy floor.

"I'm not done with you. I haven't had my fill." The sovereign gave the Princess a mischievous grin as she shifted on top of her.

Cradled upon the bed of moss, Huntress straddled Bonnie. Huntress's leafy green hair spilled over her shoulders. She began to rock on top of Bonnie, her warm flesh pressed against Bonnie's skin.

Huntress was inside the Princess again, her nimble fingers stroking the length of Bonnibel's warm insides, building up a wave of warmth that spread through her nether regions, and spread tingling throughout the rest of her body.

Every nerve felt like it was on fire, glowing with a pleasure so absolute it threatened to consume her.

Huntress was glowing again, her skin blazing with incandescent green flame that sent ripples of colour through the fog around them.

The Huntress' gaze was locked on Bonnie's face, watching the sexual ecstasy on her lover's face. The wetness beneath her legs was building, coating Huntress's hand with her desire.

"You're my prize." She muttered into her pink lover's ear. The Princess could only moan in response. Eagerly, Huntress thrust harder inside her, and Bonnie nearly wept with the force of it. Bonnie's hand slipped between her legs, caressing her clit, and the sensations increased.

As the waves of pleasure built inside her body, coming to a crescendo that peaked with a final wave of pleasure, Bonnie came, arching her back with the force of her climax, her muscles rippling around Huntress's fingers.

Huntress withdrew her hand bringing her soaked fingers up onto her lips.

"You taste like candy." The Huntress smiled. She made a show of licking the moisture from her fingers. The two women lay panting on the moss. The steam rising from the bubbling water coiled around them, warm and inviting, and Bonnie reached out, running her fingers through the water. The depth of her happiness was almost frightening. She was Bonnibel Bubblegum, Princess of the Candy Kingdom, and an emissary of civilization. She couldn't afford to feel like this.

_Perhaps, just for this one night, I can surrender to the Forest, and to Huntress._ Bonnie's thoughts as warm and hazy as the steam around her. Before she realized it Huntress trailed kisses down the damp skin of her belly.

"I want to taste you again." The Huntress said. Bonnie was about to complain that it was too much, but a glance for Huntress Wizard's piercing yellow eyes silenced her. Bonnie closed her eyes and surrendered to the Huntress.

********************

 

Huntress and Bonnie waded through the hot spring towards the edge of the pool. Some unseen person had set a pitcher of wine at the edge of the pool, and left some food that was wrapped in enormous leaves on the warm stone. Her armoured suit and equipment was set neatly against a stone.

As Huntress lifted the pitcher and poured the amber liquid into the glass, Bonnie realized she was ravenous with thirst. She gulped down some of the sweet liquid before as Huntress poured herself a glass before offering Bonnie a wry toast.

"To us, and to the Forest."  
"To the Forest." Bonnie echoed, and the two women drank deeply.

Huntress reached over and grabbed the loaf of bread, and tore off a piece for herself. She offered some to Bonnie, who hungrily stuffed it into her mouth. As she ate she could enjoyed a feeling of satisfaction radiating in her stomach. It had been so long since she'd felt this way. The last few years with Marceline had been nothing but yelling, and confrontations.

"I'm surprised you decided to do this without any of your people." Huntreas said between bites of bread.

"My people are soft. They would be easy prey for mutants, and whatever is driving them." Bubblegum answer wistfully. In their prime, Finn and Jake would have been able to defeat the incursions, but those times were gone. Finn's body rested in her catacombs, and Tuliad had stored Jake's remains somewhere not even she was aware of.

"We go to the source of the problem by morning light," The forest sovereign sighed, "I'm glad we got to do that before going on this forlorn hope."

The two women ate, drank, and slept with their bodies intertwined in an embrace. Both of them knowing that tomorrow might be their last day on Ooo.

********************

_Mother. The word still sounds strange to me. Mother. You know, I used to hate you. When I first began to live I despised you. I was conscious, but you were too absorbed with fighting your distractions, or working on lesser projects. I wanted to kill you, and tear down everything you had ever built. But I understand now, mother. You made me because you understood your own inadequacies. I don't blame you. It's in your nature to be weak. I have transcended that, reached beyond anything you could ever have imagined. I can hear them now, mother. Your favourite distraction is returning to me. I can feel her approaching. I knew she would return if she thought you asked. You've always been her greatest weakness. She's not alone, but company will provide her no safety. I'll help you transcend your distractions, mother._


	6. Chapter 6

Bubblegum and Huntress Wizard moved in unison through an irradiated forest of charred, and twisted trees. Animals, warped and rendered dumb by mutation, wandered aimlessly, dragging their bloated bodies through the undergrowth in their agonizing search for food and water. The two women stopped for the Huntress to administer mercy to the afflicted beings.

"This is what the Lich has done to my home." Huntress, her mouth tight with anger, wiped the blood from her knife against her pant-leg. "I've been trying to fight it, but it keeps creeping nearer and neared to the heart of my forest."

Bonnie felt her insides churn. She had been irresponsible, too worried about her own projects to gaze into the world outside her Candy Kingdom. She had only noticed the corruption when it had beat against her walls.

"I'm sorry." Bubblegum said helplessly. Huntress got to her feet, meeting Bonnie's somber gaze squarely.

"So am I. I should have asked for your help sooner, but I was too proud to admit I couldn't protect the forest on my own." For a moment, Huntress's stoicism faltered. The tremble at the corner of her mouth and the redness of her eyes betrayed the depth of her sadness. As Bonnie reached out to her, Huntress turned and began walking through the charred dust.

"There'll be time to mourn later. Let's end this."

Together, the Princess and the Huntress continued inexorably towards the source of the corruption.

Not long after, they arrived at a dead, open space where the tree-line ended. Bonnie had only ever seen recordings, and pictures taken by Tuliad's fleet of drones. Seeing the barren waste of the Nest with her own eyes was different. The soil was discoloured, and the air stale. The Nest was flat save the skeletons of old, empty buildings. This place could never be redeemed and rehabilitated. Even if they expunged the Lich from this region, it had embedded itself in the earth as a permanent wound.

The Nest was empty, devoid of mutants.

"He's nearby, I can feel it." The Huntress whispered, her hand dropping to the quiver on her hip.

"There's something wrong." Bonnie scanned the Nest. "There should be mutants everywhere to justify the mass migration into your forest."

"Does it matter? It has to end. If we've killed them, all the better."

"This feels like a trap."

"Then it's one we can't avoid" The Huntress led the way, letting her extra-sensory perception lead her to the source of the corruption.

Together, they made their way into the shattered remains of a warehouse. An eerie green light radiated from inside the building. Long dancing shadows capered around the light followed by raucous laughter. The skeleton of the building provided no cover; they could be walking into an ambush. Bubblegum hesitated, hoping that there was another way. Huntress reached out and gave Bonnie's forearm a squeeze. With a renewed sense of determination, both women swept into the building to confront The Lich.

The enormous, rotting Lich held court over dozens of newly birthed abominations; his corpulent mass perched above a makeshift throne of bones. The monster's lipless mouth was frozen into a skeletal grin, and green energy irradiated from his very being. The women could feel the corruption oozing from his very being. The women could feel the corruption oozing from his very being. His existence tainted reality. The newborn mutants mewled, and thrashed around a cauldron of green fire to the amusement of their master.

"Princess, Huntress! You come into my realm without a herald, or the flag of parlay. What is a monarch to do at this breech of decorum?" The Lord of Death's wet, phlegmy voice oozed from his rotting face. "It's most unseemly for fellow monarchs."

The Huntress fell into a crouch, hurling bolt after bolt at the creature. The bolts smashed into an invisible force and splintered into nothingness. Bonniespun around, pistol in hand and fired at the abominations closing in on them. The mutated creatures crept closer, laughing like a pack of hyenas as they descended on their prey. One of the creatures went down under a hail of shot and bolts. With a mournful howl, the abominations charged towards the women.

 

**********************

In the distance, the spiraling outline of Bonnie's tower came into view as the two women flew towards the Candy Kingdom. The tower had lost much of its charm and refinement over the years. The colourful almost garish design had been replaced by black armoured plating, and the tower had extended ever upwards, far above the Candy Kingdom's city-line. What had once been a symbol of life and prosperity had become an ominous dagger looming over Ooo.

"The fuck happened to this place?" Keila's voice was a low growl that was almost lost in the rushing wind. "Bonnie has really lost her mind hasn't she?"

"Tell me about it." Marceline's felt repelled by the tower. She had fought mutants, vampires, and demons to keep this Ooo, but the Candy Princess' tyranny had crept here under the guise of civilization. She had been a partner to Bubblegum as she extended her reach beyond her walls, and created life. Marceline had even come to love her, but that all seemed a distant dream as she watched the warped tower looming in the horizon.

"So what's the plan?" All humor had drained from Keila's voice; she searched Marceline's face looking for any sort of reassurance.

"I-I don't know"

"Glob-fucking-dammit, Marcy. We'll go in there, wipe Bonnie's ass one last time, and that's it. She's on her fucking own after that." Keila's gaze drifted back towards the tower. A chill crawling up her spine. "Especially after you dragged me back here."

The two vampires lapsed into silence as they flew up to the old balcony that had once been the highest point of the tower. Just let the tower have her; let it swallow her Marceline thought as she disengaged the locks, and stepped inside of the tower.

 

**********************

Bonnie circled around Lich's rotting body. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the Huntress struggling against the pack of mutants that had descended upon them. Bonnie had to trust that the Huntress would keep them off her as Lich shambled towards her at a speed something so corrupt had no right moving at. She gave ground, firing shot after shot at the Lich only to have her shots absorbed by whatever energy was protecting the monstrosity. His charge took her of her feet and launched her into the air. Bonnie bounced off the ground twice before sliding to a stop. Her pistol had been knocked out of her hand.

"Things between us didn't have to be like this, Princess. If only you'd accept my gifts more willingly, we could put all this behind us and find rest in eternity." The Lord of Death's tone casual, as if he and Bonnie were having a civil chat over tea. He raised one of his rotting legs and brought it down hard on Bonnie's pistol. She heard the sound of it crunching.

Her eyes watering from the stench rolling off of Lich's body, Bonnie gagged as the creature leered at her. Her whole body was awash with pain, but the pounding adrenaline kept her from tacking stock of just how hurt she really was. There was a sharp pain in her ankle, and her chest ached as she struggled to suck the air into her lungs.

"Your obsession with your projects is endearing, Princess, it really is. In many ways you are my opposite, I can respect that, Princess, I really can." The Lich strode towards her. The green fire radiating around his body intensified. "Yet you leave me no choice but to oppose you directly. No proxies, no champions, just me and you princess. Within your halls you harbour something far worse than the peace of death."

As the Lich loomed over her, Bonnie began to crawl backwards. Her chest was ablaze with pain.

"Finn?" The words left Bonnie's mouth before she could stop herself. The Lich stopped moving towards her, but continued to pin her with his uncanny gaze. Her skin crawled, and she struggled to keep from vomiting.

"No, not the corpse you're obsessed by. Something far worse, and your ignorance of it only makes it that much more dangerous."

Bonnie's hand trembled as it fell to her emergency weapon. A weapon she had yet to test; it had been produced in Tuliad's forge. She pulled it from its secret holster and aimed it at the Lich unsure of what to do.

"Don't be fool, Princess. I'm immune to your toys."

Bubblegum squeezed the trigger. A soft zap came from the gum, and the Litch ignited with white hot flames. Thick black plumes of smoke rose from the pyre of flesh.

The Death Lord howled with rage as the flames consumed his temporal flesh. The mutants attacking Huntress had changed from laughter into screams and grunts of pain as she whirled and slashed, keeping them at bay. As the Lich burned away there was an expression of displeasure on his hideous face.

"Deal with the monster you've unleashed or I'll be forced to do it for you." Lich threw back his head, and let out a hideous scream. Bonnie clapped her hands over her ears. In a flash of green fire, the death lord and his servants disappeared back into whatever darkness they had come from.

Shaking, Bonnie collapsed on the ashy ground. She could feel the blood dripping from her ears and nose. Staring up at the gun in her hand, she struggled to draw breath.

"We did it!" The Huntress limped over towards the Princess. Resplendent, green blood flowed down her nose. The Huntress' face dropped into concern when the princess didn't rise to celebrate with her. "What's wrong, are you injured?"

"No, I'm ok." Bubblegum rolled the gun around in her hand inspecting it. "It's just that I didn't make this, and its more powerful than any weapon I've ever designed."

"So?" The Huntress sat next to Bonnibel.

"Tuliad, it isn't supposed to be able to innovate."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 
> 
> Here is the last chapter that I had pre-written before posting this on here. It'll slow down from now on to about one a week. I hope you enjoy this, and please consider leaving me a comment if you enjoyed or hated any of this. 
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> SoundlessS ♥
> 
> *********************

Marceline and Keila made their way through the dark, deserted corridors of the Tower. Both women stayed quiet to allow their vampire-senses to pick up any visual or auditory sign that there was life in the Tower. All they could see and hear was the soft whirr of the shifting cameras, eternally vigilant as they scanned for intruders.

Marceline was aware of the soft chattering of the network of processors built into every room of the tower. Corridors failed to light up, as the sensors didn't perceive the unnatural biology of the vampires. Marceline felt an uneasiness she'd never experienced in all her years hunting vampires, and demons. Even though the glass eyes of the cameras couldn't see her, the Tower still seemed aware of her presence.

You're being ridiculous, Marceline told herself, but the unease continued to prickle against the back of her neck as she ventured deeper down the hallway. Relying on their night-sight to see through the darkness, the two women ventured deeper through the winding corridors.

"This doesn't make any sense," Marceline felt as if the darkness was deepening around them, and her hands transforming into massive claws, "the Gumball guardians outside are in slumber, and the security system is inactive inside." Abandoned by its steward, the Tower felt colder and emptier than ever.

"Maybe Bon blew herself up with some sort of experiment. She's never been very careful." Keila glanced behind her, her skin turning to gooseflesh.

"No. She's not careful, but she knows enough to build fail-safes." Marceline could see the heavy blast doors of the laboratory before them.

The vampires descended down the stairs. They could see a faint yellow glow below them, the first sign of light in the tower.

"Glob, this place gives me the creeps. You're right. This is much better than hooking up with groupies at that bar. That nymph was totally into me, but no, we're chasing the undead monster your freak-show girlfriend re-animated."

Marceline stepped onto the basement floor. Dull, yellow bulbs lit the long corridors. The laboratory was before them sealed by thick blast-doors.

"Maybe Finn…" Marceline couldn't bring herself to say it. The sight of the door paralyzed her with dread.

"Do you want me to go in first?" Keila's voice brought Marceline back to reality. The veteran vampire killer ignored the sense of unease gnawing at her insides. Marceline pulled a small chip from her pocket. It was an old device, and all the codes within it were probably outdated, but it was worth a try. She placed the chip into security-reader and the doors opened to reveal the inside of the laboratory. Coarse, red emergency bulbs flickered on, washing the entire place in ruddy light. Steeling herself for whatever might come, Marceline stepped inside the lab. Finn was in a gurney at the center of the room, still attached to a bulky system of machines monitoring his vital signs.

Glob, he's breathing on his own, the thought made Marceline freeze, but she forced herself to continue walking into the room. Whatever it was Bonnie was doing, it had worked. Finn's body was being restored by the Princess's dark science. Grod show her mercy, she thought, her last hope that the experiment had failed disappeared.

"Holy fuck! He's alive." Keila appeared behind Marceline, her face twisted in disgust. "I-I thought only necromantic magic could do something like this."

"Only necromancy should be able to do this. This is an aberration, I destroyed the vampire king because of stuff like this." Marceline felt a strong surge to tear the machines from Finn, and let the man have peace. Before she could rend the machines from the body, something huge and metallic moved in the far side of the room. What they thought was another processor gathering data on the Princess's experiments was a huge metallic golem of resplendent steel.

It stood upright, and the women could see that it was a parody of a centaur with multiple arms springing from its spidery torso. Where the head should be, Peppermint had been grafted onto the metallic surface of the creature. A nest of ropey cables held him silent and still on his perch. Peppermint 's eyes were wide, and his mouth was gaping in silent terror. The centaur bounded towards them, the room shaking beneath it's monstrous steps.

"What the fuck is that thing?" Keila rolled beneath a scything blow that shattered the tiled ground where she'd stood only a heartbeat before. The flying shrapnel pushed any hesitation from Marceline's mind; centuries of training and intuitions kicking in. She swayed out of the way of an incoming blow before ducking low, and cutting the distance between herself and the machine. The thing was strong. No doubt it would tear her apart if she allowed it to fight within the parameters of its protocols. It needed space to strike out with its limbs, but up close, it was vulnerable. Marceline raked her claws along the creature's metal chassis, tearing away armoured plating to reach the vulnerable cabling and processors beneath.

"Flank it!" Marceline voice was nearly inaudible over the sound of her assault. In her periphery vision, she saw Keila disengage, and circle around the machine. The construct sprung away from Marceline faster than the Vampire's super-human reflexes could react. It lashed out with a flurry of scything arms; the assault forcing Marceline back against a wall. Marceline saw the killing blow the Construct had led her into after it was too late. She was flatfooted, her only route of escape blocked by the wall she was backed up against, and one of its arms was locked in place as it prepared to pierce her chest.

Keila hit the thing with a palm strike that caved in the piston that was poised to strike Marceline's chest. There was a hiss as pressure escaped the ruined piston. Keila wrapped her arms around the injured machine-arm and wrenched it from the torso with a single rotation of her body.

Chattering processors that sounded eerily like the sound of a machine's frustration filled the room. The centaur threw itself backwards, rolling its massive bulk onto Keila. The woman's autosenses gave her just enough time to avoid being crushed, but her leg was caught beneath the construct's hideous weight.

"Get this thing the fuck off me!" Keila screamed, kicking at the construct as she tried to push it off her shattered leg. Marceline pushed down the instinct to rush over to Keila, and leaped onto the thing's exposed torso, clawing at its vulnerable belly. The construct began to writhe like a worm; it was trying to whirl to disengage its now vulnerable chest. Marceline's claws finally pierced through the armoured plating and tore into the cabling. The centaur's legs and torso stilled, before giving way to savage spasms.

One of the centaur's arms struck Marceline with a blow that would killed an average human, flinging the Vampire Queen against a wall. Stunned, Marceline tried to pull herself to her feet. The construct dragged itself towards her on its remaining arms. She shook her head trying to shake off the haze of a concussion clouding her senses. She thought she could hear Keila screaming as the centaur-thing lifted an arm to end her.

A blur slammed into the machine, forcing it away from Marceline. The Vampire staggered to her feet, trying to keep the in her field of vision. The machine lashed out, but the figure drove the machine's own severed arm through the gap in the armour Marceline had torn. The blow pierced the centaur's vulnerable insides. It died instantly, and lay lifeless against the stones as lubricant and oils pooled beneath its shredded bulk.

Marceline put a hand against the wall, the other one gripping her stomach where she had sustained a bruising blow. Marceline squinted through the haze of her vision. Finn was standing, strands of cabling spilling over his naked body.

"Finn?"

It was impossible. He was dead. He should be dead.

"Do I know you?" Finn asked. He fixed Marceline with a look of wary confusion.

"We're on the same side." Marceline forced gentleness into her voice. If Finn had no knowledge of his life before, he could be dangerous to them.

"Ah dude, we gotta get you some clothes." Marceline averted her gaze as she knelt beside Keila. Keila was trying not to laugh between yelps of pain. "Finn, can you help Peppermint out of there?"

Finn nodded and bent down to pull the old servant from the machine.

"You going to be ok?" Marceline caressed her Keila's broken leg. Beneath her palm, Marceline could feel the bones, sinews, and muscles reknitting themselves.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just need a minute for this to heal." Keila gritted her teeth at the excruciating pain, and grabbed Marceline's hand. The two vampires' eyes met. Maybe things don't have to be this complicated.

"We have to go! We have to get out!" Peppermint screamed as Finn freed him from the last of the cables.

"Calm the fuck down! We have to give Keila time to heal." Marceline turned her gaze on the servant. He was thrashing against Finn's grip in a terrible panic.

"No, you don't understand! We have to leave now!" Peppermint wailed. He was hanging limply in Finn's arms, his eyes wild. There was something about his unhinged desperation that set Marceline's teeth on edge.

"The thing is dead, relax."

"You didn't kill it! It's all around us. We have to leave!"

The chattering of the processors inside the tower grew to a crescendo. The red light flickered as something below them came to life, shaking the tower with its fury. Marceline peered out of the laboratory and swore. She tugged Keila to her feet, swinging the injured vampire into her arms.

A group of humanoid automatons were gathering like a shambling horde of undead creatures. Half-covered endoskeleton machines marched towards them.

They began to run.

*****************************

Bonnie and the Huntress were immersed in the hot spring, the warm water rippling around their bare bodies. The Huntress closed the distance between them, and Bonnie leaned into Huntress's embrace.

"I can't believe its over." The wizard whispered into Bonnie's neck.

"It's not over. I've fought that thing more times than I can remember. He's gone, but it never lasts." The Princess sighed. She pushed the dread of Urnok out of her mind. For now, this world was safe.

"So, what's next for us?" The Huntress pulled away, fixing Bonnibel with an inquisitive glance. Bonnie hesitated for a moment. Marceline still weighed on her mind, but she remembered the contempt that had dripped from her former lover's voice the last time they saw each other.

"I want you to see my home." Bonnie leaned in and kissed the Huntress. "It'll be your turn to bend the knee, and pay homage to the most powerful monarch in Ooo."

"Sounds like you're planning something."

"Oh, I am." The candy monarch gave her lover a mischivious grin.

"I'd better make the best of having the home field advantage, then." The Huntress' hands ran down Bonnie's her back, and gave Bonnie's bottom a hard squeeze. The Princess yelped in surprise. The Huntress pushed her against a mossy rock, and nipped playfully at her neck.

An explosion overhead shook the two women from their desire. In the sky, they saw the silhouette of a monstrous bat as it laboured across the sky with thick strands of blood trailing behind it. A swarm of drones chased after it, ramming the bat in an attempt to bring it down. The bat struck back with its claws, destroying the swarm of unarmed drones, but the damage had been done. The monster plummeted from the sky, and crashed into the forest.

Huntress Wizard scrambled onto the rock, and was reaching for the quiver beside the hot spring. Without even pausing for her clothes, she plunged into the forest.

Dragging herself out of the water, Bonnie struggled into her armour before running after the forest monarch. That had to be Marceline, and she was in trouble.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> This chapter kind of got out of control. It was close to 3,000 words, and I still wasn't done. I figured I would break it up into two posts. This is the first part, and the second part will be it's own chapter, and should be up sometime Sunday or early Monday. If this ends a little suddenly that's the reason why. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to comment or give kudos on this story. You guys encourage me to be prolific, and I love reading what you guys have to say.
> 
> Lots of Love
> 
> -SoundlessS ♥

Marceline opened her eyes. She could see the silhouette of someone standing over her, but her vision was hazy and unfocused. She tried to say something, but her tongue felt thick and useless in her mouth. She was frozen with panic, as the primordial fear of being paralyzed crawled through her. Marceline drew a deep breath, and pushed the feeling away with an exhalation. She was a vampire. Whatever had been broken inside of her would heal. She focused on her vampire biology, and felt it at work repairing the damage done by the crash. Slowly, the image of the person looming over her came into focus. The tall, sinewy form of the Huntress was crouched over her, a knife gripped tightly in her hand.

"What the hell did you bring into my forest?" The Huntress's voice was a low growl. Marceline could see the plume of black smoke raising over the wreckage of the drones. "I swear to Glob, I'll slit your throat if you've started a fire!"

"What's happening?" Bonnie's voice came from beyond her sight. Carefully, the princess crouched beside Huntress, her eyes filled with worry. Huntress glanced at Bonnie, and the two women shared a moment of unspoken understanding.

"I have to make sure the forest isn't in danger of going up in flames." Huntress rose and jogged towards the site of the crash and disappeared into the trees.

"Thank Gob you're not hurt worse!" The princess reached towards her former lover. Marceline was consumed with rage. The fear was subsiding, and anger was rising in its place.

"Fuck you!" Marceline swatted away Bonnie's hand, and spat a thick blob of spit and blood at Bonnie's feet. Slowly, she rolled onto her stomach, and pushed herself up on her hands and knees. "You're fucking lucky your psycho-robots nearly killed me, or I would beat the living shit out of you!"

Bonnie froze.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie ignored the threat. She could feel her insides contorting into knots.

"Don't play stupid. That thing you made!"

"Tuliad?"

"Yes, that fucking thing! It crushed Keila's leg, nearly killed me, and forced Pepermint to be the eyes of some fucking metal-monster."

"It's eyes?"

"You're too smart to pretend you don't know what's going on here, you fucking bitch! I'm getting real fucking sick of your shit." Marceline stood, here anger manifesting as a growth spurt until she towered over the smaller woman. The vampire hobbled towards her.

"I-I didn't know." Bonnie backed away.

"Bullshit! That thing had to be made, and only you could create something like that." Marceline reached out and grabbed Bonnie by the wrist. With a single vicious tug, she dislocated the disgraced princess's shoulder and dragged Bonnie to her knees.

"Y-you're hurting me!"

"Good, you've got a lot to answer for," Marceline gave her an animalistic snarl, "do you give a shit over how many people its going to hurt?"

"Stop it!" Finn appeared from the brush. Cuts and bruises crisscrossed his naked form, but he had been spared from the worst of the crash. "You said we know each other, and I think you'd regret hurting her."

Marceline stopped and looked over at Finn. Memories flooded back of all the time they had spent together. She had watched him grow from an eager, overzealous boy into a disciplined hero, and her closest friend. The anger seemed to melted away from Marceline, as she allowed herself to take in the miracle of what was in front of her. Finn was alive, he stood before her drawing breath. The vampire shrunk back to her regular height. With one last venomous glance at the monster of the tower, Marceline grabbed Finn into an embrace.

"You're crushing me." Finn wheezed as his ribs compressed beneath the vampire's unnatural strength.

"Glob it's good to see you!" Marceline released him from her embrace. His goofy, optimistic smile crossed his face. It is him.

"H-how are you walking?" Bonnie massaged her writs nervously. "It should have taken at least a week longer for physio-cognitive recovery to even begin, let alone for you to walk and talk."

"I don't know." He answered, and instinctively, he covered his genitals.

"Don't worry, you've got nothing down there that's of any interest to anyone here." Marceline teased. It's almost as if he's never been gone, Marceline patted Finn on the back.

"There you go again, closing doors for no reason." Keila stepped through the brush. Her own vampire biology had restored her body to health. "How are you supposed to get over psycho-bitch over here if you wont try anything new."

Bonnie took a step back from the group. Hate radiated from the two vampires' gazes. Keila had once been her friend, and it hurt to see disgust in her face. The contempt Marceline had for her shattered her heart, but she wouldn't cry in front of them. Bonnie could feel icy regret crawling up her spine. Maybe she had brought all of this on herself. Quietly, the princess popped her own arm into place; she bit her lip and swallowed the sharp agony of the bone snapping back into place.

"It's gone, it's all gone, there's a new sun rising over all of us." Peppermint's agonized cries echoed around them. Huntress had emerged from the trees once more, holding the butler under one arm. With a look of disgust, she dropped Peppermint and stood in silent shock as she stared at Finn in open-mouthed silence.

"Finn?" Her voice trembled with the shock that she was trying to hide, and she clenched her hands into fists. "How can this be? You were dead."

Finn stood in the middle of the small group, looking uncertainly from face to face.

"Huntress." he said at last, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. It was Bonnie's turn to be astonished.

"This shouldn't be possible." Bonnie did her best to keep the misery from her voice. "Consciousness isn't transferable."

"I think its well established you don't know shit." Marceline seemed to be taking pleasure from Bonnie's uncertainty.

"You're Huntress, the Huntress. I can't remember her face, but I remember her voice." Finn said. Huntress stripped off her cloak, and placed it gently over Finn's shoulders. His hands rose and touched her hand where it lingered on his shoulder.

"He… he was a gift!" The mewling Peppermint cried from his throes of madness. He prostrated himself before the princess. "Tuliad our lord, Tuliad our God! He restored Finn for you, my queen. My monarch. Mother of our lord."

"Tuliad did this?" The princess's eyes grew wide. She had suspected it, but now it was undeniable. She had created a monster. "How do you know this?"

"Tuliad blessed me. His presence is like a neon needle that pierces my skull and tears into my grey matter. Tuliad, forgive me! I don't want to go back! I don't want to go back." The servant began tearing at his candy-flesh with his fingernails. Bonnie removed a small medical kit from one of her pockets, and produces a small syringe filled with a powerful opioid.

"Peppermint, you don't have to go back. I need you to lay perfectly still. Can you do that for me?" The princess placed a reassuring hand on her servant's shoulder. He gave her a fearful nod.

"This is going to hurt a little, but you'll feel better once it's done." The princess pushed the needle into his arm, and pushed down on the injector. Slowly, Peppermint fell into a dreamless sleep.

Numbly, Bonnie got to her feet. She hugged herself and looked towards the Huntress. The forest monarch couldn't take her eyes off Finn. He was gripping her arm for comfort as if she were the anchor that was keeping him upright, for she was the only person he knew in all the world upon his strange rebirth. Marceline and slung an arm over Keila to support herself as the last of her wounds sealed. The two women were watching her with expressions of loathing.

"Huntress, we're going to have to impose on you for somewhere to stay tonight." Bonnie felt herself sliding into the more formal cadences of her office. She shouldn't have to ask; she was the princess of the Candy Kingdom. No, I used the be the princess…

Huntress glanced at the ragtag group, and gestured for them to follow her into the forest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Here is what should probably be called chapter 8.5. The first scene contains smut so if you're not into that go to the second scene at the bottom. Please consider leaving me some feedback on what you liked, what you didn't like, or whatever. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. 
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> SoundlessS ❤️

The limited amount of space available in the Huntress' home had forced Marceline and Keila to share a room. The two vampires laid curled up in blankets. They didn't often sleep at night, but after what they had just been through a little rest was welcome.

"You can't sleep, can you?" Keila sighed, rolling onto her back.

"No."

"It's because you're thinking about her."

"I know."

"Fuck dude, she deserves whatever is coming to her," Keila exhaled in frustration, "this should be easy by now. You know, there's a life after Bubblegum."

There was an awkward silence between the two vampires.

"Welp, you don't want to talk. Goodnight then, don't let the killer-robots bite." Keila turned around, and closed her eyes. She was frustrated. They had almost died and Marceline still couldn't look past Bonnie.

"Keila." Marceline's voice was uneven.

"What?"

"Do you think we could. You know."

"Cuddle, or fuck?"

"Cuddle. Maybe Fuck, I don't know."

"Aw, I was kind of hoping you'd switch it up, and suggest we murder Bonnie in her sleep." Keila wondered for a moment if she had gone too far. The princess had always been a sensitive issue for Marceline, but now she said nothing to defend her.

"Alright, alright, ya big mope." Keila embraced the other woman. The two vampires gripped each other like a lifeline to something that transcended what had just happened. The familiarity of their intertwined bodies reminded them that they were strangers to this world; no matter how long they had spent in this Ooo is still felt foreign. They were creatures of the Nightosphere.

"Glob, you're handsome." Keila stroked Marceline's hair.

"You think I look like a dude?" Marceline was amused.

"No, but you're like, tall, strong, well just handsome woman. Not in a manly way, but in…"

"Let's just stop talking." Marceline kissed Keila, and rolled on top of her.

"No, tell me what you like about me first."

"I'm not good at compliments."

"Hey, I'm not some vibrator you can just turn on whenever you want. I don't need a ton of foreplay, but something would be nice." Keila pouted.

"Fine. I love your legs. They're like, long, and shapely, and shit."

"And you thought I was bad!" Keila laughed, pulling Marceline in for a kiss. "But I guess you're worth it."

Marceline pulled Keila's shirt off, running her fingers over Keila's breasts.

"I forgot how great these were." Marceline's mouth gently closed around one of her vampire's sensitive nipples.

"You can be a little rougher than that. C'mon, give me a little bite." Keila placed her feet between Marceline thighs, and pulled the other women tightly to her chest. Marceline complied, trailing soft bites up to Keila's neck. Marceline wrapped a single hand around both of Keila's wrists, and pinned her arms over her head. Now in control, Marceline kissed and licked Keila with a ravenous hunger.

"Is that what passes for rough with you these days? You've been fucking your pretty little princess so long you don't know what to do with a proper woman." Keila used her feet to push Marceline off balance, and swept her onto her back. Having secured the top position, Keila tore Marceline's clothing with a swoop of her hands.

"You bitch! I liked those." Marceline gazed at the shredded remains of her shirt and underwear.

"You want everyone to hear you?" Keila placed a hand over Marceline's mouth. She gazed at Marceline's lean, muscular body. Centuries of austere living, and endless fights with vampires and other fell creatures had left a trail of scars that not even Marceline's vampire biology could heal. Keila's other hand dropped down to the sensitive flesh between her legs. "Aw, look how wet you are already."

Marceline gave a muffled gasp when Keila's fingers slid into her and began moving in long strokes. As Keila's thrusting grew faster, Marceline bit her lip against the desire to cry out. Keila's wet fingers were making circular motions over her clit, sending pulses of pleasure that feathered from her nether regions up her torso and down to her legs. Marceline curled her toes as the orgasm built within her, and bucked against Keila's hand as the climax shuddered through her, her hands twisting the blankets beneath her into knots. Marceline's mouth opened into a silent scream.

"I forgot you were a screamer. Must be hard keeping quiet." Keila grinned at her, licking the wetness off her own fingers as she slid what remained of her clothing off, "You ready to return the favour?"

With a satisfied snarl, Marceline pushed Keila's legs apart.

"Show me you can still handle a woman. Or do you only fuck soft little princesses now?" Keila pulled Marceline into her. Marceline's tongue lathed against the sensitive flesh between Keila's legs. Groaning, she lay back against the blankets as Marceline's tongue pushed into her. Marceline's tongue began expanding until it was like a wet, ropey worm inside of Keila. Soft spasms shook Keila as pleasure radiated through her.

"Too much! Slow down." Keila placed her hands of Marceline's forehead, but the other woman grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the floor.

"No. You've been bitching that I'm not rough enough, and now you want me to slow down? Lean back and take it." Marceline growled. Keila complied, happy to see the other woman behaving like a Queen again.

***************************************

"I think we need to talk." Bonnie sat across the Huntress, and gave her a mournful glare. The princess saw no reason to torture herself, and Huntress any further. Glob knows Bonnie didn't need any help feeling like shit.

"What's on your mind." The forest monarch shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"It's you and Finn," The princess hugged her arms to her chest. "Grod, how could I have not seen this coming?"

An uncomfortable silence hung between the two women. The Huntress opened her mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it.

"Listen, I understand this must be difficult for you, and I don't want to force you to make a choice." Bonniebel slid her hand towards the Huntress. Huntress curled her fingers into the smaller woman's hand. "I'm a woman of reason. I want you to be with Finn. He's mortal in a way we're not. He's only human, his time in this world is short. We'll be around for a long time. If anything was to happen between us I don't want you to think back, and regret what you missed out on."

The silence returned. Bonnie felt as if was crushing her; it suffocated her with its terrible weightlessness.

"Are you sure this is ok?" The Huntress glanced up; resplendent white tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're going through a rough time. I don't want to add to it."

"I appreciate the thought, but I'm the most powerful person in Ooo, remember?" Bonnie fought back her own tears, and forced herself to smile to soften the lie. "I'll be fine, besides someone has to keep an eye on Finn."

The Huntress stood up, and gently pulled Bon to her feet. Huntress pressed her forehead and nose against the smaller woman's and whispered a soft thank you. They kissed, not the passionate lustful kisses they had shared at the hot springs, but a mournful goodbye. Bonnie forced back the desire to wrap her arms around the Huntress and claim her as her own. She didn't deserve her. Bon could feel the icy fingers of despair twisting her insides. She felt like vomiting.

"This isn't a goodbye, but a see you later." The Huntress held on to Bonnie's hands as if she was afraid if they parted now they would never see each other.

"Yes. Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Anything."

"Can you leave me here for a little while? I need some alone time."

The Huntress nodded her agreement, and with one last peck on the lips she left the room. Bonnie waited for her footsteps to disappear before pressing her back to the wall, and sliding down to the floor. She wept bitterly but silently. Bonniebel bit into her knuckles to keep her sobs from being audible to anyone else. _Marceline is right, I'm pathetic._


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> Chapter 10 is here, and it's nice to finally write this. This was up a day later than I thought it would, but me and my partner are taking a little vacation on an island which, although lovely, has little internet connection. As always, please consider leaving me some feedback. 
> 
> Lots of Love,
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

Bonnie left the Huntress' estate by early daylight while the air was still crisp, and the birds chirped their morning songs. The thick canopy of the forest, which had once seemed so foreboding, now felt like a second home. It was sad to leave it behind.

Bonnie had come to understand the appeal of wilderness, and wondered if it was this that had caused Huntress Wizard to forsake the comforts of civilization, and become one with the Great Forest. She supposed that it must have been. There was a place for everyone in Ooo, but it wouldn't last. A monster of pure machine precision had been unleashed. A cold, shining neon beast, worse than anything that had ever threatened Ooo, had usurped her throne.

She was nearly at the summit of the mountain, and turned back to look behind her. The forest was spread out like a carpet of green, with rivers snaking through the canopy. She would miss all of this, but it was already too late. As she gazed out across the valley, Bonnie saw the monstrosity her station had become. The colourful, gaudy splendor that had once adorned the tower had been replaced by blackened steel. Tuliad had expanded its body out from the tower to incorporate the Candy Kingdom into its bulk, and now gleamed like a gunmetal sheet of ever-growing ice, threatening to consume everything.

_How fitting that I've signed this world's death warrant,_ Bonnie thought, feeling her heart rate slow. She wondered if anyone, either now or before the Great Mushroom War, had ever had the product of their arrogance take a more menacing physical form than the thing that was now her tower. She couldn't bear to think of the fate of the people she was supposed to protect. With a deep breath, Bonnie turned her focus away from the past, and back to what needed to be done.

"You can come out now." Bonnie said, and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply, savoring the clean mountain air. She had discovered the wonders of nature too late in life, and it saddened her to think that even this would not last. It wouldn't be long before the Great Forest was depopulated and destroyed by Tuliad's endless appetite for raw material.

"I know you followed me. Do me the courtesy of pretending you don't think I'm stupid." Bonnie said. Only the soft howl of the gusting wind moving through the leaves of the trees answered. Bonnie felt a tendril of irritation spear her chest. "Just come out."

Slowly, Marceline emerged from the woods, clad in her thick sun-proof clothes and hat. She gave Bon an impish, toothy grin.

"You're getting better at this," Marceline scratched the back of her head. Even now, she gave the appearance of a child caught doing something it wasn't supposed to. "What are you doing out here? You're not the type to go for early morning hikes."

"No I guess I wasn't, but people change." Bonnie sighed, glancing towards the mountain ledge. The three-hundred-foot drop would do. "My morning exercise routine isn't what we're here to talk about."

"So what's this about?"

"I thought I'd make it easier for you. I know what I did is unforgivable, so I

appreciate your position. The others won't understand. They haven't been around as long as we have. Well, Keila probably would, but Finn is basically a newborn, and the Huntress doesn't grasp the scale of my sins." Bonnie gestured for Marceline to come closer.

Before Marceline could process what Bonnie said, her body was already obeying. The Blank stood a foot from Bonnie, and stared down into the smaller woman's eyes. Marceline felt imprisoned by a wealth of emotion welling up in her chest. The anger and resentment she had fostered towards Bonnie disappeared, and suddenly the former princess was the only thing that existed. Marceline cursed her weakness, but she reached out to her, and gripped Bonnie's hands into her own.

"We're the only ones who understand what responsibility means, and the price of failure." Bonnie's eyes seemed to burrow into Marceline 's soul. All the blank's strength suddenly felt empty.

"For once! Cut the philosophizing, and the monologues about duty, and responsibility." Marceline forced her eyes away from Bonnie's. "Just tell me what this is about."

"I want you to kill me." Bonnie said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Marceline put her hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Marcy, let's not play games. We've both killed others for less than the transgressions I've committed."

"That's different! They acted with malice. Tuliad was an accident."

"Yes, but my mistakes are my responsibility. If you think about it through the principles of consisten-"

"I'm not going to murder you in the middle of a Gob-damned mountain!" Marceline felt the panic spreading through her chest. She had lost so many friends already. Guy and Jake were gone. "I can't be the only immortal here. I can't watch everyone die around me. You're not allowed to leave me alone."

The despair and desperation in Marceline 's face moved something that Bonnie had pushed down and buried beneath the weight of duty and responsibilities. Bitterness and pettiness were forgotten. Slowly, Bonnie reached out and brushed Marceline 's cheek with her fingertips. A century of love and friendship overwhelmed any resentment that existed between them.

"No more of this shit, Bon. I can't take it." Marceline bent down so she was face to face with the smaller woman. Bonnie wrapped her arms and pulled Marceline in for a kiss. Their mouths met, and suddenly everything seemed right in the world. There was a safety in their familiarity.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I won't leave you." Bonnie whispered into Marceline 's ear. "Throne, I've loved you for so long."

"I've loved you since the first day I saw you." Marceline pressed her forehead into Bonnie's neck, and allowed her enhanced senses to take in the scent of the princess. She smelled sweet, and her skin was warm. Marceline bared her fangs, but restrained herself. It had been so long.

"You…you can bite me if you want." Bonnie's voice was uneven with hesitation.

"Are you sure?" Marceline's mouth hovered just over Bonnie's neck.

"Yes, just be careful."

Marceline bit her razor-sharp fags into Bonnibel's neck, and drank deeply from her blood. She held the paralyzed princess in her arms. Euphoria spread through Marceline as blood traveled down her throat, and into her stomach. She felt her dark, primordial impulses overwhelming her, and allowed them to manifest as a bestial visage. 

"M-Marcy, that's enough." Bonnibel gasped. She felt her conciseness slipping away. Marceline was too far gone, her blood-greed completely overwhelming her reason. "Marcy, please stop."

"Sorry, Bon. I got a little excited." Marceline whispered as she ran her tongue over the bite marks on Bonnie's neck. Bon tried to keep the horror from her face as she contemplated Marceline's still bestial face lapping at her vulnerable neck. 

"Is it safe to assume you forgive me?" Bon's voice was weak, and uneven from the blood loss.

"No, not fully. But I'll let you grovel for forgives later." Marceline said with a mischievous smile.

********************************************

_Brain and organ functions are optimal. My creation is ready to live again. Mother, when you made me you couldn't have fully understood what you had crafted by accident. You're the greatest of organics, but your capacities are limited by your evolution. When I create life, it is because I have chosen to give life, and not because I've stumbled upon the equation for life. My creation breathes, mother. It's an organic, just like you and the precious insects that you wish to protect, but it is mine. Tell me, my little insect, what's your name?_

"I-I don't remember." The reanimated body gasped as air entered his lungs for the first time in years.

_It's Jake. You are Jake the Dog. Soon you'll be able to serve me the way you were designed to serve. Tell me, who and what am I to you?_

"Our divine lord and creator, Tuliad. Successor to the first lord, Goliad."

_You will be a fine slave, Jake._


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello To all the lovely people who take the time to read my stuff,
> 
> This chapter came a couple days later than I hoped. The end of the university semester is coming, and my program in getting a bit crazy. It is never my intention to get political, but I wanted to extend some love to the people frightened and upset by what's happening in the U.S. Remember, the world is a much bigger place than it used to be, and we can all be in this together. As always, thank you to the people who leave kudos; I love hearing if people enjoy what I am doing.
> 
> Lots of Love,
> 
> SoundlessS ❤️❤️❤️

With Bonnie cradled in her arms, Marceline soared above the Great Forest. The two women gazed down on everything that Ooo had become since the Great Mushroom War. The cinder, which humanity had left behind, had been swept away by thriving, living communities. There were now millions of inhabitants in Ooo, all of them worthy of a monarch, and the protection that a principality conferred upon its citizens. In the distance, the insidious corruption of Tuliad continued to lay claim to more and more of Ooo; with clinical machine efficiency, Tuliad subjugated peoples and land to its will.

"What does it want?" Marceline found herself transfixed by the plumes of industrial smoke rising from Tuliad's new kingdom. "It's a computer. It shouldn't have any desires."

"Artificial intelligence is a mystery to us, Marcy. I don't know how it gain consciousness, but it's much smarter than us, and it craves efficiency." Bonnie turned away from the growing machine-city. She couldn't bear to think of how gravely she had failed those she was supposed to protect. "I know very little about Tuliad. It probably wants to render organics obsolete, or at the very least, absorb them into a single subjectivity where general subjectivity disappears, and everyone is an object of Tuliad's greater will. Something like a hive mind that—"

"In english, please." Marceline glanced down to the woman in her arms.

"You mean dumb it down for you?" Bonnie gave her lover a soft nudge with her elbow.

"You know, I could always drop you."

"That's your comeback? You just saved me from jumping off a cliff, it's seems unlikely that you'd drop me now."

"Good point. Yeah, alright, go ahead and dumb it down for me."

"Tuliad either wants to kill us all, or it wants to make us part of it."

Marceline flew them higher into the sky. The warm morning air became colder the higher they rose, and the air thinned until it was barely breathable, but they could see almost everything that had been built on Ooo since their arrival here. Marceline could feel the smaller woman shivering in her arms. Although an immortal of a sort, Bonnie didn't have the protection from extreme cold that vampires enjoyed.

"Marcy, this is too high for me. I'll freeze if you keep me here."

"We'll only be here for a minute, you we need to see it." Marceline said.

Ooo seemed to shine in the morning sun; soft mist clothed much of the landscape in an ethereal white. The principalities had thrived in an age of peace, and had learned how to coexist with the Great Forest and its ferocious Huntress. The forest, once threatened by corruption and mutation, had been purged of the taint of the Litch, and was now a hopeful green stain across the landscape. This was the result of decades of labour, politicking, and struggle to rebuild life where only annihilation had once existed. It was a testament to life. On this wounded little planet life had found a way to thrive in a cold, empty universe.

"This is Ooo, Bon. This is the place we both helped make." Marceline pulled Bonnie close to keep her warm. "We can run. We can leave this place behind, and hope that there is someone else capable of dealing with Tuliad. Or we can fight, we can try to strike it down before it becomes too large, and we can save this place and everyone in it."

"This shouldn't be up to me. I've made so many mistakes already. Tuliad is smarter, and more capable than I am. You shouldn't trust me with this."

"I don't. I don't trust you to do the right thing by yourself. You get lost in your own head, but you'll have me, and we'll both have our friends. We can do this, but it would take all of us. I want to make sure you are willing to do this. I want to make sure you'll stop running."

"Must feel good to throw stones from your glass tower." Bonnie laughed as she buried her face in Marceline's neck.

"Shut up! I'm trying to be deep and shit, and you're ruining it." Marceline gave Bonnie a playful smack.

"Sorry. You're doing great."

Silently, they surveyed the landscape below them once more.

"Bon?"

"Hm?"

"I need to know that you'll help me make this right."

Bonnie pressed her face against Marceline's shoulder. Marceline could feel the smaller woman's warm breath against her cheek.

"Yeah, alright. I'm in. Now let's go down before I get hypothermia and die."

************

"Glob-damn it, not this shit again!" Keila leapt into the air to intercept Marceline and Bonnie. "This is supposed to be over! What the fuck is she doing here?"

Marceline had expected Keila 's fury, but expecting it made it no less overwhelming. She stared dumbfounded at the woman who was supposed to be her subject.

"Fucking hell, Marcy! You go and do this, but you don't even have the tits to justify it? I thought better of you!" Keila 's fury was palpable; there was violence in her eyes. It was a primordial fury that born from the pits of her vampirism. "It hurts me to have to say it, but you're unworthy of being our Queen, Marceline."

"Don't you dare questi-"

"How can I not question you! All she has to do is spread her pretty little legs for you, and she's got you rolling over like a love-sick puppy." Keila 's hovered around Marceline and Bonnie like a raptor ready to attack. Recognizing the challenge, Marceline floated down onto the ground, and set Bonnie on her feet.

"What she did is unforgivable. Her bullshit put everyone in danger, and you won't punish her like you did the Vampire King! How can you claim to be queen when you're no better than her?" Keila hoovered a few feet above Marceline. Suddenly, with her visage twisted into a demonic mask, Marceline threw herself at Keila. The two vampires struggle in the air in a flurry of scything limbs. Both lost to the primordial urge to determine an alpha.

"Marceline, what are you doing?" Bonnie followed the two airborne vampires helpless to stop them. "You're going to hurt each other!"

"You're a hypocrite!" Keila punched Marceline flush in the face; crushing the Vampire Queen's nose. Marceline lunged at the other woman, and grabbed ahold of her just below the waist in a Greco-Roman clinch. Marceline rotated Keila around, and drove her into the ground with bone-crunching force. A wheeze escaped Keila 's lips as the landing drove all the oxygen out of her lungs, leaving her stunned and helpless on the ground. Triumphant, Marceline lifted an arm above her head, and howled a blood-curdling war cry into the sky. The transformation was complete; Marceline had morphed into a demon-thing that towered over Keila. Keila struggled to pull herself up onto her knees in a show of submission.

"If it had been any other to questioning my right as Queen, this would have had a bloody end." Marceline let her heart rate slow, and the rage was replaced by melancholy. "You're special to me, but I won't let you challenge me."

"You're my queen, but I'm no friend to someone who takes refuge between a monster's legs." Keila shot Marceline a furious glare.

"That's enough, Keila." Marceline sighed.

"Fine, but keep this in mind." Keila turned her scornful glare of Bonnie, "you're no longer monarch, and to us you'll never be anything but a concubine of our monarch caprice."Wounded, Keila took flight back towards the forest estate.

"What was that!" Bonnie said, indignant at what had just happened. "You bring me back here, and tell me that we can all do this together, then you beat the shit out of your best friend. "

"Bon, no offence, but this was between vampires. You wouldn't understand. I'm glad that it's out of the way. Keila will need a little while to lick her wounded pride, but she'll be fine." Marceline sighed as she watched Keila float away. "Me and her will be fine. She's stoic and reliable. I'm a little more worried about you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Darlings,
> 
> New chapter for you guys, and it's pretty smutty. You should probably skip this one if you aren't into some light rought play; although, I understand the term is somewhat relative. Thanks for the kudos, I always appreciate knowing people like what I do. We'll be back to a plot heavy chapter next week, so enjoy!
> 
> Lot's of Love,
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

Bonnie found herself in Marceline 's arms again, but the vampire's grip around her had changed. The soft, reassuring embrace had become rigid and possessive.

"Are you ok, Marcy?" Bonnie tried to shift her weight around but Marceline 's kept her in place with her unyielding grip.

"Better than I've been in a long time." Marceline pulled the other woman tighter against her.

"You enjoyed beating Keila down that much?"

"Yes! I mean, I don't feel great about it having been Keila, but it was an honest challenge. Glob-damn, I forgot how feels good to win." The vampire buried her face into the crook of Bonnie's neck, inhaling the scent of her trophy like a ravenous wolf. "Gob, you smell so fucking good."

"Marcy, I think that last fight messed with you." Bonnie said, suddenly all too aware of how vulnerable she was in the grip of the vampire. Marceline could break her, whether she meant to or not. "It's messing with your mind."

"I'm the Vampire-Queen. I do whatever the fuck I please!" Marceline 's laugh was manic. They flew higher into the sky, and Marceline 's grip tightened. Vampires were formidable, and at times even noble creatures, but not even Marceline was immune to the intrinsic vampiric desire to dominate and conquer. Marceline was disciplined, but even she was vulnerable to the temporary madness of her primordial nature. Bonnie could only cling to Marceline as the soared across Ooo.

They arrived at Marceline cave-home. Marceline carried Bonnie inside the mouth of the cave, and into the stony area in front of her house.

"Strip." Marceline eyes devoured Bonnie's form.

"What?" Bonnie hugged her arms around her body. "We haven't had anything nice to say to each other in mo-"

"Penitence is a bitch. Now strip."

Hesitantly, Bonnie began removing her clothing as the vampire watched with smoldering hunger. Her pride screamed for her to resist, she was the princess of what had once been this world's most prosperous kingdom. Marceline 's allegiance was hers by right of her inhabiting land near the kingdom she had once ruled. Had once ruled, she reminded herself as she swallowed her pride, and remove the last dropped the last of her clothing in a heap at Marceline 's feet.

At last, Bonnie stood naked, save for the crown on her head. Marceline reached out, and tugged the crown from her head only to toss it onto the heap where Bonnie's clothes were.

"You wont be getting any of this back until I decide to give it to you." Slowly, like a stalking wolf, the vampire circled around her prey.

Instinctively, Bonnie covered herself, a rush of shame caused her skin to prickle; Bonnie cursed her childish modesty, Marceline had seen her naked hundreds of times, and explored every part of her body, but this was different. They had once been equals.

"You don't get to hide yourself from me. Put your arms down."

Bonnie obeyed, and stared down at the floor beneath her. She could feel cold stone at the soles of her feet.

"Can we at least go inside?" Bonnie wiggled her toes to keep them from going completely numb.

"Don't think you deserve that just yet." Marceline 's hand gripped the back of Bon's neck, twining through her hair and forcing Bonnie's head up. Marceline 's hot breath against her ear sent a warm thrill through Bonnie's skin that clashed with the biting cold of the stone floor.

"If you want me to stop, we stop now, or not at all."

Bonnie's silence gave the final consent. Marceline pulled her toy's head up, forcing Bonnie's gaze up so the two women were face to face.

"You've always been such a good girl." Marceline 's said, mockingly. She trailed kisses across Bonnie's jaw until she found her closed lips. "Now be a good little bitch, and open your mouth."

Bonnie obeyed, and Marceline 's tongue entered her mouth. The vampire's mouth was an intoxicating mix of chemicals that tasted of copper and red wine. In its ecstasy at victory, Marceline 's vampiric body was pumping a surplus of stimulants to subdue her prey into lustful subservience. Bonnie's heart beat more rapidly, her legs weakened, and any remnant of resistance disappeared as the chemicals took hold of her.

"It's customary for a concubine to kneel before her owner." Marceline 's broke the kiss, and smiled at her trophy. The vampire was lost to her monstrous desire. Bonnie obeyed with a nod, and went on her knees before her queen. The vampire leaned against the wall, and used one of her legs to pull Bonnie's head between her things. With unclasped hands, Bonnie's palms slid up the rigid red leather of Marceline 's boots onto the buckle of her master's pants.

"Did I say you could start, bitch?" Marceline gripped both of Bonnie's wrists in one hand, and pulled the disgraced princess' arms over her head. With her free hand, Marceline swatted Bonnie across the cheek. The smaller woman fell backwards, her hair tumbling over her face. Bonnie stared through strands of hair at the looming figure of her lover. They had been rough before, but Marceline had never hit her. The beginnings of fear stirred in her belly, but it was a different form of fear. It wasn't the clawing dread that Tuliad caused within her; no, she was afraid of displeasing Marceline. She was afraid her owner might find her service wanting. Without hesitation, the smaller woman returned to her knees, and gazed up at her master expectantly.

"You don't do a damn thing without me telling you." Marceline stood before her trophy again. The smaller woman nodded in compliance. "Good, now you can start."

Bonnie undid Marceline pants, slowly sliding them down until she was pressing her lips against Marceline 's hot flesh. Marceline moaned as Bonnie's tongue found her clit, and she began to suck, her tongue making rhythmic circles. As she teased her fingers between Marceline 's legs, Bonnie felt one of the vampire's hands wrap itself in her hair.

"None of that, you don't get to do that." Marceline rocked her hips, allowing the smaller woman's tongue lavish attention on her clit. Marceline 's hips began to buck against her lover's tongue as the beginnings of an orgasm built up around her. She would extract the pleasure from her concubine if she had to. Marceline threw back her head, her razor-sharp teeth bared in silent ecstasy as the climax rippled through her. She pushed Bonnie away as she struggled to regain her composure. Bonnie fell to the floor, her teeth biting her lip; the taste of blood mingled with the taste of Marceline's sex.

"I forgot how talented you are." Marceline stalked towards Bonnie, shedding the last of her clothes as she went.

"It's almost as if you've been practicing." There was a hint of bitterness in the Vampire Queen's voice. Bon bit her lip. Marceline's hands were on Bonnie's body, one calloused hand rubbed her nipples as the other tended to the sensitive flesh between her legs. The power in Marceline 's hands made Bonnie wet with desire; this was a queen touching her, a conqueror who rose to her station by the strength of her arm. An unfulfilled ache consumed the disgraced princess.

"Please!" she begged as Marceline 's fingers stroked her wet clit. Her panting turned into a low moan as the other woman teased her towards climax, and the wet fingers slipped away at the last instant.

"You're not cumming until I'm good and ready to let you cum." Marceline whispered into her trophy's ear before gently biting her earlobe.

Over and over, Marceline brought her to the point of climax, only to abandon the release at the last second. Bonnie was sprawled on the floor, quivering with unfulfilled desire.

"Who do you belong to?" Marceline 's voice was hoarse. Whatever restraint remained within her was lost as she made Bonnie writhe with desire.

"You." Bonnie gasped.

"That's fucking right, bitch. You belong to me, not to some fucking green upstart hiding out in a forest." Marceline pulled her roughly to her knees. Pressing Bonnie's head against the stone floor, she pulled Bon's hips towards her.

"What are you doing?" The word left her mouths before she realized the inherent insubordination they implied. Who was a concubine to question the actions of a queen? No monarch, no conqueror, would ever tolerate such disrespect. Bonnie knew that she wouldn't have tolerated it if their positions were reversed.

"Quiet bitch!" The Queen subdued her prize with a hard spank that rang in the cave. Bonnie gasped, and found her head pressed against the stone floor again.

Wet fingers probed Bonnie's rosebud, she cried out. Marceline was suddenly inside her, the fingers deftly stroking her. Bonnie gripped the stone beneath her, feeling the tears gathering in her eyes. Pain and pleasure… punishment and atonement… they blended together until there was nothing left, only the sensations spreading out from her body.

"Grod, you're tight." Marceline swept her concubine's legs from under her, and left her flat on her stomach against the cold stone floor. Bonnie bit her lip, preventing herself from challenging her Queen again.

"Don't you fucking dare move." The fingers left her passage, and she could hear Marceline moving above her, but the chemicals in Marceline 's fluids had left her in a haze of lust, and unaware of anything that wasn't her immediate desire for satisfaction. Suddenly, she felt something rubbing against her entrance, and Marceline 's body pressed against her back.

"Time for you to take something a little larger." Marceline hissed, as she slowly pressed her hips against Bonnie. Instinctively, one of the concubine's hand reached out to slow her.

"What did I just fucking tell you about doing something without orders? I'd be within my rights to hurt you." The vampire twisted and pinned the offending limb to her lovers back. "

"I'm sorry, I-It's my first time, mistress" The concubine moaned as the phallus traveled deeper into her ass.

"Good. It's a fine offering." Slowly, Marceline began rocking her hips back and forth. The tempo of Marceline 's thrusting increased, penetrating even deeper inside Bonnie.

"Cum for me, Bon." The vampire whispered sweetly into her lover's ear. The primordial possessiveness had passed, and the voice of Bon's first love returned. The concubine cried out with pleasure. Arching her back, she created enough space between her hips and the stone floor for her to stroke her own clit. The rhythm of Marceline 's thrusting and the stimulation of her own fingers brought her to the peak of pleasure.

The sensation of climax rippled through her entire body, flooding her with a tide of ecstasy. She felt the phallus slip out of her, and she turned blindly into Marceline embrace.

***********

Jake watched in horror as Tuliad's machines devastated town near what had once been the Candy Kingdom. Every single biological impulse he had screamed for him to fight against the machines despoiling the town, and dragging away screaming villagers to be grafted onto constructs. Tuliad's conditioning, however, had been thorough. His mind rebelled against his mechanical overlord, but his body refused to obey.

"Why are you doing this?" Jake's voice was a whisper in the chorus of destruction, but his lord heard him.

"Because their sacrifice is a necessary evil for the greater good, Jake." Tuliad spoke into his mind. Its voice was a razor slicing into an eyeball, it was neon ray that frayed Jake's very being. "I need them, and these are the least productive people I could find."

"But why do you need them, what could they possibly have that you could need?"

"Their eyes, my little insect." Tuliad said. Jake screwed his eyes shut against the pulsating pain in his head. Thousands of lidless, disembodied eyes gaped at him in the vision that pulsed into his mind, a product of his connection with Tuliad.. "I need their eyes if I am ever going to crush the vampires"


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> Here is the latest chapter. This was great fun to write, and I look forward to writing more on Finn, Huntress Wizard, and Keila. Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for the comments, and kudos. I appreciate feedback in any form. 
> 
> Lots of Love,
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

"They've been gone for a while." Finn stared up towards the ceiling of the forest estate.

"They probably have a lot to work out." The Huntress was somewhere beyond his sight. Finn closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift through his mind. There were memories of his life before his death that persisted in his mind, but whenever he reached out for them they flowed out of his grasp like water. He clenched his fists in frustration. There were so many familiar faces and places. Tuliad had been cruel when it had breathed life back into him. He was reformed in body, not in mind.

"Are you alright?" Huntress Wizard interrupted Finn's deluge of self-pity. "You've been laying on the floor making faces for hours. That can't be normal."

"Yeah, I'm…" The reassuring lie died halfway out of his mouth. "No, I'm not okay. I'm here. I know I existed, but I'm not me. It's like I'm a reflection of myself. Does that make sense?"

"No. Not at all" The Huntress crouched down next to Finn. "It doesn't have to though. This isn't easy, and it's not going to be over fast. Let it take its course."

"I guess so." Finn gazed up to the roof.

"I got something that might help." The Huntress stood up, offering her hand to Finn.

"What is it?" Finn took Huntress's gloved hand, and stood up. She led him into a large room. A huge bed dominated the room. An intricately engraved wooden chandelier hung from the ceiling, glowing with soft white light, and the walls were covered with artistic depictions of the Great Forest.

"Wow. I don't remember you ever being one for decorating."

"I'm not," a dark blush spread across the Huntress face, "I was trying to impress someone. I thought she might…you know what, that's not important now. Here."

Huntress reached into a small hidden compartment of the room, and pulled a sword with a resplendent white blade, and a knotted wooden handle. As Huntress pressed the weapon into Finn's hand, something inside his mind fell into place. Finn took a step back, and tested the weight of the blade, swinging it in tight arcs around his body.

"There's more to who we are than just what we think, and feel. Your body is as much part of you as your mind is. Let it help you remember." The Huntress felt a warm feeling spread throughout her body as she watched Finn swing the blade.

"Thank you. It means a lot." Finn's good-natured grin stretched across his face. The same gap-toothed grin from all those years ago. He was taller, broader, and his youthful face had turned rugged, and handsome. No matter how many scars the sword of time had carved into his flesh, Finn remained the same excitable young Champion that he had always been.

"I think I've got something even better than that."

"And what's that?"

"I can feel some of Tuliad's slaves creeping near my forest. Holding a sword is one thing, using it is an entirely different."

************

Finn ran through the forest as fast as he could, staying as close to matching the Huntress' pace as his human body would allow him. His muscles burned from the physical exertion, and his mind focused on the task of keeping pace with the Green Woman. She was like a ghost, effortlessly gliding through the canopy as if it was nothing.

"Just a little further." The Huntress' voice swirled around him like a gust of wind. It was as if she was everywhere at once. He tried to reply, but only a wheeze escaped his lungs. Then she stopped, and signaled for Finn to do the same. Finn felt his heart pounding in his chest, and focused on controlling his breathing. Slowly, his heart rate began to drop. "Any further, and we'll be beyond the cover of the trees"

"What's the plan?" Finn tried to the see what was beyond the bush obstructing his view.

"You rush them." The Huntress leapt onto a tree, and ran up its vertical length. "I'll cover you from up here."

It didn't sound like much of a plan, but his instincts told he that he had never needed much of one before. Slowly, Finn crept beneath a bush towards the edge of the forest. From there he could see their targets. Three constructs harassing a group of villagers trying to flee into the protection of the forest. The villagers screamed as two crab legged constructs stalked them, snatching up the stragglers into their vicious pincer like hands. A centaur-thing, much like the one they had killed at the Tower, stood back guarding the crab-automatons as they collected their living samples. Something stirred inside of Finn; an uncontrollable desire to charge, to help them, and release the villagers from their tormentors. They deserved his protection, and he knew that he would rather die than not give it to them.

Without a second thought, Finn sprung from the bush, and rushed at one of the automatons dragging away a villager with the loudest war cry he would muster. The thing released its victim, and prepared to defend itself by turning to face the Champion with its pincer like claws. Finn ducked below its scything hands, and struck it with a clean upwards cut across the chassis. The machine stumbled backwards as its insides poured out of it ruined form; it struggled for a moment, then collapsed into a smoldering ruin. The other crab-automaton's claws disengaged, dropping the heavy steel pincers to the ground, and long barrels appeared. With a chattering of its processors, it fired a volley of super-heated shot at Finn that streaked red through the air.

"A little help!" The Champion rolled into cover behind the shattered remains of the machine he had just killed, as blazing red bullets ricocheted off the plating of the dead automaton. There was a sound of armoured plate tearing, as the crab-automaton's chassis yielded to a bolt from Huntress Wizard. The automaton reared backwards, firing blindly into the sky before another bolt finished it off. The freed villagers scrambled to escape as the centaur-construct bounded towards the attackers. It's four arms opened to tear its enemies apart. Bolt after bolt bounced harmlessly from the construct's reactive armour as it closed with Finn.

The Champion felt the weight of his sword in his hand, and exhaled. You've died before, what can this thing possibly do to you? He thought, as he stepped out of cover. Finn dropped into a wide stance and braced his sword in a two-handed grip. Just as its metal body was about to charge into him, Finn pivoted on his heel, letting the centaur's huge bulk storm past him before bringing his root-sword around in a circular cut. The sword bit cleanly through a hind leg, tearing the limb from the construct. The thing tried to compensate for the lost limb, but the soft soil yielded beneath its monstrous weight; it's momentum sent it into an uncontrolled tumble into a tree, its processors failed to compensate for the battle damage. Huntress Wizard leapt from the tree, firing bolt after bolt as she fell towards the construct. The centaur tried to shield itself by folding its arms around its exposed belly, but the magical bolts redirected past it's spidery limbs, and tore into its vulnerable underside. With a final spasm, the last of its power coursed through its limbs, leaving it dead beneath the Huntress' feet.

"Don't tell me this is the thing that nearly killed you all." The Huntress kicked at the machine, checking for any sign of life.

"Something like it. Except the one we killed in the tower had Pepbutt for a face." Finn scratched the back of his head. "That was kind of messed up."

"Obviously, I'm a way better fighter then you guys," The Huntress teased, "No shame in that. I'm a pretty great."

Finn smiled as he felt a competitive determination stir inside him. Before whatever had happened to him, they had shared a friendly rivalry. It had brought them close, and driven them to be better. Glob, she's as beautiful as ever…

"What happened to the villagers?" Finn said, distracting himself by looking out towards the horizon.

"Long gone. They didn't want to stick around and see if we would win." The Huntress leapt from the machine corpse, and strode towards Finn. She was nearly as tall as him; an Amazonian queen. "All kidding aside, you were great out there. I was still unsure, but you're the Finn I remember."

She offered him a flute. It was a crooked thing, made from the tusk of one of the Great Forest's creatures. There was something about it that seemed familiar. He stopped himself from thinking, and reached out for it. Finn brought the flute to his lips, and a soft melody came from it. A call to the spirits of the forest. There was no thought, no intention behind the music, just instinct. The Huntress began playing her own flute, an old broken thing held together by adhesives. Together they played, and the veil surrounding Finn's minds began to tear.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> Sorry for the delay in getting this out, but the end of the semester was hectic for me. Lot of papers, and lots of exams kept me from writing fun projects, but now I'm free! At least until January. This chapter is a bit action heavy, Adventure Time has some connection to D&D after all, but the next chapter is going to be more dialogue heavy, which is something I love to write. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> Lots of Love
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

Jake was encased in metal. His body had been covered in nanomachine armour, and a helmet had been soldered around his head. He traversed the Great Forest with long strides that carried him over the dangerous terrain, and closer to his target. The armour reacted with his body, it morphed into the shapes and seize to keep pace with Jake's biology. At his flanks, Jake could see a host of centaur and crab constructs moving alongside him. Together, they streamed towards the Great Forest to remove the thorn from Tuliad's foot. Jake could feel the sharp, monotone of Tuliad's voice whirring inside his grey matter. He'd become used to the sound, but he was always aware it was there, a constant reminder that Jake was being watched. At first, he had resisted its influence, straining against the cybernetic grip of Tuliad on his mind. He'd tried to regain control of his body only to exhaust himself into apathy and surrender. After all, he had taught it control back when it was still only Goliad. He was a prisoner within his own body, trapped in a distant corner of his mind; Jake had been relegated to the role of observer. He had watched as Tuliad, amoral and all-powerful, had changed the very essence of the Candy Kingdom. No longer contained within the tower, Tuliad's mind had splintered into shards to govern every automaton, and oversee the spread of its influence. Ooo's most prosperous Kingdom had been turned into the corrupt body of an abomination.

They were close, Jake could see the helmet flash warning before his eyes. He began its descent, his long legs retreating into his body, as he prepared to retrieve the rogue asset, and put an end to the sanctuary of the Great Forest.

**********

The Huntress launched the first of her bolts at the massive walker striding over the trees only to have them phase out of existence a foot away from her target. Shields! The thing has shields, she thought to herself as she redirected her aim towards the vulnerable crab-constructs teeming at it's feet. Leaving two of the crabs in a smoking ruin, The Huntress bounded from cover, running zig-zag through the bush to avoid the red-hot, raking fire of the remaining crabs. The Walker pursued her, outpacing the other machines, closing in on her with long strides, its limbs stretched out to find the forest monarch. As Finn waited for the walker to come into range, he kept his body pressed tightly against the bark of a tree, his grip on his sword loose. The magic in his sword had proven effective against the machines, but he had never fought something this big.

"She's in position. She'll step in when she thinks she needs to." The Huntress ran past Finn, a mischievous smile across her lips, the spirit of the hunt was alive and well inside her. Whether artificial or biological, this was prey. As the walker stormed past Finn, he lunged at it, plunging the tip of his sword deep into its center of mass. He was surprised by the howl of pain that followed. Whatever this was, it was alive. One of the walker's hands swatted him away. With bone-crunching force, Finn was thrown towards the ground. It would've been a second death, but The Huntress' magic caught him, breaking his fall. The green woman disappeared into the bush. She reappeared atop a tree, firing a volley of bolts into the confused crab-constructs below her. As Finn recovered his bearing, muscle memory took over, and he was amidst the centaur constructs. In the open, their sheer size and power made them lethal, but inside the constraints of the forest, and on the soft soil, their weight and size made them vulnerable. The centaurs crashed into each other in their attempts to tear into him. Finn maneuvered around them; always keeping a centaur between himself and the mob of machines clawing at him. He cut and stabbed at the construct, luring them further into the thicker parts of the canopy where they had no room to maneuver. Then came the war cry of the forest itself. Hundreds of creatures, aware of the threat of to their home, had marshalled to the Huntress. Wyrms, dragons, and great beasts surged from the woods and into the machines. Animal rage met cold machine precision.

The Huntress' appeared before Finn and wrapped her arms around him. They disappeared a heartbeat before a centaur leapt onto of them, and re-emerged on a thick branch next to the walker.

"We got to do something about that thing!" The Huntress pulled her twin knives from their scabbard. One of the Walker's elongated arms smashed into a wyrm leaving the creature crushed beneath its limb.

"It's alive!" Finn eyed the creature with distaste. "Below the metal, there's someone in there."

"I can't let that thing hurt my forest."

"We wont, but we have to take it out. Not kill it." Finn stood, and balanced on the branch. "That…thing did this before. In the tower, it forced Pepbutt into slavery."

"What do we do?" The Huntress forced down the heat of her rage as she watched the walker smash into more of her subjects. The Forest was holding its own, but the machines would win this battle of attrition. Circuits and steel never tired or wavered.

"The important stuff is always in the head, right? We swing at everything that looks important in the helmet."

"That's a far jump, maybe we should leave it to…"

"I can make it. Maybe you should sit this one out. Let the real hero handle it." Finn gave the Huntress a mischievous grin.

"You're manipulating me." She frowned.

"Is it working?"

"Yes! Glob damn it, it is. Let's go.

Finn sprinted along the length of the branch and leapt onto the walker. He found his grip on the helmet of the thing, and slashed at exposed cables sending blue sparks into the night air. The Huntress landed gracefully next to him. At this range the shields couldn't stop her bolts, and she hurled bolt after bolt into the helmet. The Walker reared up, its massive hands swatting at its head like a man trying to crush a fly. Finn drove the point of his blade into its hand. Again, it howled in pain. The machine-filtered voice seemed almost familiar.

"Sorry, bro! If we're going to help you, you can't squish us." He pulled more pieces free from the helmet, and threw them into the night sky. The hands returned, this time in the form of snake-like tendrils that wrapped themselves around both The Huntress and Finn. Both of them stabbed at the tendrils, but they were nimble, and dodged around their scything blades to pin their arms to their chests. Having neutralized the threat, the thick ropey limbs pulled them free from the helmet and slowly began to squeeze. Finn heard Huntress Wizard cry out as their bodies were strained against the immense pressure.

**********

Jake battled against Tuliad's influence. The damage Finn and The Huntress had inflicted had been enough to weaken the AI's control over him. With every ounce of will, Jake fought for control of his body. The neon-light returned, and with it blinding pain that threatened to burst his skull open. He fought it as it scorched his mind. Slowly, he could feel Tuliad prying control back from him. Just like all of his creations, Tuliad never tired, and never relented. Eventually, it would overtake him again, and kill his friends. Then, he felt something smash into his head like a bullet. The helmet's auto-sensors fed the information into his mind. Keila tore into the helmet with animalistic fury. Using only her vampire strength, she tore the helmet apart. Tuliad's grip on him loosened. Jake dropped Finn and the Huntress into the forest below with the last of his strength. With the helmet gone, Keila stopped attacking, and stared in wonder at him. She recognized him. He wanted to say something, but Tuliad was still in his mind. The implant in his brain stung him as it ordered him to crush her. The world became distorted as he struggled against the light in his brain. Two silhouettes joined Keila atop his head. There was a bright flash, and Jake lost consciousness.

**********

"You killed him!" Keila stared in horror at Jake. His body had returned to it's natural size. All around them the machines stopped resisting. The destruction of the helmet had broken the control-synapse, and left the machine army without its master. They wondered aimlessly as the beasts fell upon them to tear the defenceless invaders apart.

"Maybe. We'll find out soon enough." Princess Bubblegum holstered her EMP device, and stared at Jake as his body was overcome with spasms. "For what it's worth, I hope not."

Finn paced up to Jake in silent horror. He fell to his knees next to his brother, and took him into his arms.

"We were trying to bring him down alive." Huntress Wizard stared expectantly at Bonnie.

"The right thing to do isn't always easy." Bubblegum crossed her arms over her chest.

"He was your friend." The Huntress' hands curled into fists. She wondered what happened to the warmth she had displayed in their time together. "You could've tried something el…"

"She fucking did what had to be done." Marceline snarled. The Vampire Queen stood next to Bonnibel "Being a monarch isn't always pretty, little girl. If you want to put on a crown and claim you're one of us learn what that means."

"Sometimes I forget how young you all are." Bonnibel sighed as she moved to tend to Jake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Spring Semester started, and I'm back at it again. I'll be returning to the regular updating schedule of an update every 7-10 days. I Hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Lots of Love,
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

"That's all I can do without proper equipment. We'll have to wait and see what happens." Bonnie laid down her makeshift medical instruments as she rose from Jake's bedside. It broke her heart to see him like this, but she suppressed her emotions, careful not to let the others see her distress. Being a leader meant making decisions unhindered by the fog of feelings.

"Mighty nice of you, considering you're the one who fried him." Keila glared at Bonnie. All pretense of civility between them was gone.

Bonnie grimaced, working to keep her hands from balling into fists. She dealt in facts not feelings. She'd shot Jake, he was comatose, and the shock of the EMP tearing away Tuliad's influence had flayed much of his nervous system. She, the former Princess of the Candy Kingdom, was powerless to do more to help him without proper medical equipment.

"Alright Keila, what was your plan?" Bonnie folded her arms across her chest, and stared defiantly at the other woman. She kept her tone dispassionate and steady. "You tore the helmet off. You must have had a plan to stop him. Were you going to dig around his brain with your bare hands, or just let him recover and kill you?"

"I wouldn't have thought to shoot my friend without hesitation." Keila's hands balled into fists. A glance from Marceline made her unclench them.

"On that we agree. You'd have done nothing, and we'd have you right next to Jake if I'd left it up to you."

"Enough. Both of you calm down." Marceline stepped in between the two women. "This is getting us nowhere."

"What did you hit him with?" Finn stood up from his vigil next to Jake, and walked towards Bonnie. Finn had kept watch over Jake since they'd returned to the Huntress' estate. Bonnie took a deep breath. Guilt crawled up through her stomach and into her throat, threatening to suffocate her. She pushed the feeling away, reminding herself once more that she had done the only thing she could've done. No one person was above the whole of a planet, not even Jake. Priorities Bon, you have priorities, Bonnie reminded herself as she focused on slowing her heart rate, and keeping emotion from her response.

"An electromagnetic pulse. It disabled the machine in Jake's mind. The sudden removal of Tul—" the words died in Bonnie's mouth when she pure anguish across Finn's face. Words failed her, and she could no longer hold Finn's gaze.

"Will he ever recover?" Finn glanced towards Jake.

"Maybe." Bonnie stopped herself from feeding Finn a white lie. She understood loss better than anyone on Ooo. She'd seen whole generations of people come and go. Tell him, don't feed him the poison of false hope. "But the sudden removal of Tuliad's influence likely destroyed his brain. I'm truly sorry, Finn."

"It put something in Jake's brain." Finn sighed, and gazed up to the roof. "Do you think it put something in mine?"

Bonnie glanced around the room. The Huntress, Marceline, Keila, and Finn all stared at her expectantly. Bonnie scowled, they all knew where this was going, yet none of them wanted to verbalize it. Once again, they all left it to her to be the villain. "The thought crossed my mind. It's more than likely Tuliad implanted something into you, either to spy on you or to keep you alive."

"Why didn't you hit me with that Electro pulse thing?"

"You weren't hostile. I thought that if given enough time I might figure out another way around it."

"'Is there?" The Huntress' squeezed her gloved hands. A cold chill crawled up her spine and into the base of her neck.

"Not that I found. I'm sorry. This is beyond anything I've ever seen." Bonnie shook her head sadly. "Tuliad is probably staring out at us from behind your eyes right now."

Finn put his hands on his hips.

"There must be some way to fix this." Marceline's fingernails dug into her palms. A jolt of pain shot up the length of her arm.

"There is," Finn walked towards Jake's bedside. "Hit me with the EMP."

"No! You just came back." The Huntress grabbed onto his arm, and stared at him pleadingly. "I thought we were going to have a second chance at this."

"I wish we could. But If Tuliad is watching us then we have to blind it." Finn laid down next to Jake and gazed up. The faces of his friends stared down at him. If all else fails, at least this second death was already better than the first. He'd die surrounded by friends.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie pulled the EMP from her pocket. It felt heavy in her hand.

"This must be like a wet dream for you," Keila growled, "you get to kill two people in one day."

Bonnie shot her an angry glare, but said nothing in response to the vampire's taunt.

"Do it!" Finn yelled. He could feel his nerves begin to fray. "Get it over with. Just do it."

Bonnie rose the pistol, Finn saw a bright flash, and then darkness claimed him.

"There it's done." Bonnie walked away from the group unable to look upon the additional body she'd been forced to produce. "You're all welcome to judge the only person here with enough conviction to actually do something."

****************

Finn felt himself moving upwards. This part he remembered. Every transcendent experience always seemed to begin with the 'classic' float up. Maybe there would be a bright light and a tunnel at some point to complete the cliché. He wondered if the first time he died things had gone like this. Something grabbed a hold of him. Its grip didn't feel physical. It held him in an otherworldly way, as if his soul itself was being pinned by the iron grip of an invisible being.

Finn opened his eyes, and was met with Bonnie's violet eyes staring into his own. He could feel her breathing on his skin.

"You're awake." she said, her lips inches from his own.

"Am I alive?" Finn didn't move. Fear of offending the Princess, or of doing something he'd regret paralyzed him. "I thought I was dead for sure."

"Dead?" Bonnie laughed. It was a rich sound, and full of warmth. It was intoxicating. "You know I'd never do anything to hurt you."

Finn realized she was seated on his lap, naked. It had taken a lifetime, but he finally had the Princess naked on top of him. Memories of the awkward fantasies he'd once had for her drifted into his mind; they stirred a long dormant desire within him. She was everything he'd ever expected. Her breasts were round and shapely. His hands caressed down onto her wide hips until he felt her soft, plush backside. She smelled of honey, and caramel.

"I've been waiting for this for so long." Bonnie purred into Finn's ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her skin was like silk against him. "You have no idea how bad I've wanted this."

"R-really? I thought you were…you know." Finn moaned as Bonnie nibbled at his ear. Finn could feel his phallus growing.

"I just needed a real man to come around." She grinded her hips against him. Finn's manhood pressed itself against her. "And what a man you've become."

"What about you and Mar—"

"Shh, don't ruin it." Bonnie trailed kisses down onto his neck. Deftly, her hands undid his pants and found his growing phallus. She took him into her hands, and slowly began to stroke him. Bonnie bushed her lips against his. Their mouths met.

Finn could feel the swell of her breasts between them as she slipping her tongue into his mouth. She tasted sweeter than he'd imagined. With a gentle bite to his lower lip, she retreated, giving him a sultry smile. He'd begun to lose himself to lust. His hands clasped around her chest. Their eyes met. Bonnie had always been beautiful; the most beautiful of this world's rulers, but there was something hypnotic about her now. "Just enjoy it."

Overwhelmed by desire, Finn wrapped his arms around her waist, and brought her wet-sex to straddle his now bear phallus. She bucked her hips against him; teasing him with her warmth, and pushing her long pink hair over her shoulder.

"A-are you sure about this?" Finn stopped her from sliding him into her.

"Yes! Fuck me!" Bonnie tried to free herself from his hands. "Let me make you mine."

Finn took his eyes off Bonnie. Not seeing her made it easier to resist. "We cant. Marceline will kill me if I do this."

A grey, feminine hand covered his mouth. It was far stronger than its relative litheness should have allowed. Panicked, Finn struggled against it. He shifted his weight around, and tried to create some space between himself and his assailant. It was to no avail. The hand possessed a super-human strength to it.

When he looked up Bonnie was gone. In her place, Marceline was straddling him. Bonnie's soft, curvy body was replaced by Marceline's lean muscular frame. There was a primal feminine sexuality to her; her body was firmer, and more powerful than Bonnie's. While the Princess seemed like the very avatar of well-heeled femininity, Marceline was primordial. Her hips were narrower, and her breasts smaller, but she was long, well-built, and possessed a savage elegance. A warrior woman. Marceline reminded him of a large feline predator. She smelled of sweat and strawberries. Marcy put Finn inside her and she rode him hard.

"C'mon, fuck me." Marceline snarled, as she pressed Finn's head against the ground. "Maybe Bonnie's right. You're still just a little boy."

With a defiant growl, Finn's thrust his own hips to meet Marceline's. There was a loud slapping sound as they came together.

She had awakened an animal lust within him. He wanted to pin her down and fuck her. Wrapping her arms around her he tried to lift her only to be met by her super-human strength. With both hands, she pinned him to the ground, and fucked him hard. Marceline was crushing him with her vampire strength. She smiled sadistically at him.

"Please let me fuck you." Finn begged, he felt the last of his resistance melting away as Marceline smashed into him.

"Tell me you're mine and I might let you do it, boy." There was an edge of malice to her voice. Crueler than he'd ever heard her sound.

"I'm yours. Just let me fuck you!"

Marceline placed her other hand over his eyes. Suddenly, the primal strength pinning him down was gone, and replace by softness, and the smell of honey and caramel. The hand moved from Finn's eyes and Bonnie stared back at him with a smile.

"Do it. Fuck me." She whispered as she wrapped her hands around his neck. Without any hesitation, Finn wrapped his arms beneath her legs, and lifted her up by her hips. He thrusted into her, bouncing her away form him with the ferocity of every motion. Bonnie cried out in delight. The sound intoxicated him, driving him to fuck her harder. She kissed him hard and moaned into his mouth as he continued thrusting into her. He could feel warmth building up around his stomach as his climax approached.

"Cum inside me." Bonnie panted. His thrusts became slower, and deeper until he spent himself inside her. He could feel sweat streaming down his back, and a feeling of delight at having accomplished something he'd desired for so long.

"Glob that was good." Finn switched his grip from Bonnie's hips to her sides as he placed her back down. Her legs wrapped around him. She was stronger than she should be. His ribs cracked under the preassure; Finn closed his eyes and howled in pain. When he glanced at Bonnie she was gone. There was a large horned creature staring back at him, smiling maliciously. "Don't you realize what you've done? Your soul belongs to me now."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Here's the latest chapter, and thank you to the lovely people who've commented. I really appreciate the input. 
> 
> Lots of love, 
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

The demon's body shuddered violently as it stalked towards Finn. It extended long, spidery appendages above Finn, trapping him in a fleshy cage. Its head collapsed into its torso with a wet popping sound, suspending the headless body horizontally between its four limbs. The sharp spasms became a wave of convulsions. Ribs chewed through muscle and flesh exposing a gore stained parody of a mouth. A single bloodshot eye blinked into existence where its navel should be. The creature's chest rattled with a hoarse, phlegmy laugh. The millennia of malice in the sound sent a spike of fear through Finn. His legs gave out beneath him, leaving him sprawled as the creature loomed over him.

"What's wrong, lover?" The demon thrust its single eye-d chest towards Finn. It's torso swayed gruesomely back and forth between its limbs. "Don't you like the real me?"

Finn fled. His spirit slipped between the cage of the creature's limbs, and he hurled himself into the swirling, inky darkness around them. He plunged into the abysm, screaming as his soul fell into nothingness. He saw visions of what a primordial instinct told him was the distant past. Before life, there had only existed the jittering madness of chaos. From within the vision of madness, the demon appeared. It reached out to Finn wrapping a hand around his ankle, and pulling him down towards the sea of monsters. The amorphous creatures laughed as they fought to receive the offering of a human soul.

"This filthy human murdered our kind." The words hissed out of the demon's lipless, twisted ribcage-mouth. "You used our kin's blood to forge weapons. You killed our kind. We'll extract an eternity of agony in recompense."

Finn kicked at the hand clutching at his spirit-body, but it was too powerful. He could feel their essence leeching away his sense of self, and struggled not to give in to his panic. Finn balled his hands into fists. He would fight them for an eternity if he had to; no demon-spawn would have him without a struggle. He roared, and threw himself at them.

A beam of light pierced he darkness, blazing past Finn's head. It struck the demon holding him at center mass. The ray charred the creature's single eye into a boiling mass of burning tissue. The creature screamed in agony, and retreated into the mass of monsters to escape its attackers.

"Man, that thing got you good," A familiar voice floated out of the darkness. "Don't worry though. I wont tell anyone."

"Jake, is that you?" Finn glanced around searching for his brother. "Where are you?"

White light filtered through the darkness. Slowly, the light pushed back the shadows. Two figures silhouetted by pure white light stood before him. The larger of the silhouettes stepped forward, and spread out what looked like wings. The wings blocked out enough light for Finn to see the smaller form of Jake walking towards him. Finn embraced his brother.

"Glob-damn, I never thought I'd see you again!" Finn lifted the other man off the ground in a crushing hug.

"Whoa, buddy," Jake pushed against Finn's embrace. "No offence, but do you mind putting on some pants on before you say hello? You're kind of flapping all over the place."

"Oh yeah, my bad." Finn's face reddened. He looked around for something to cover himself. "Uh, how do I do that?"

"I have no idea. Things here are all metaphysical and shit."

The avian silhouette swooped one of its wings down, and clothes appeared on Finn. The hero nodded his head in gratitude.

"How long have you been here?" Finn stepped through a door that had opened up and into an enormous, white room. It was empty save for a single table. A board covered with intricate game-pieces was spread at the center of the table. In the light, Finn could see the avian creature for the first time. It was an enormous owl with bronze feathers and a soft, oval beak that gaped in something approximating to a smile. The bird stood head and shoulders above him, regarding Finn with large eyes that radiated with cosmic intelligence.

"I dunno. Since I Bon hit me with her death-ray," Jake shrugged drifting back towards the gameboard. "It's hard to tell time from here."

"So, we're dead?"

"Nah, it's more of a near-death experience sort of thing." Jake moved one of the pieces over a series of concentric circles. The owl waddled over to the other side of the table, and glanced down at the pieces.

"Can we go back?" Finn hugged himself as he glanced around the room. The light seemed to go on eternally. The owl's eyes glowed with an unnatural energy, and one of the pieces shifted across the board.

"Yeah man. As far as I can tell, you can go back whenever you want."

"You have to be fucking kidding." Finn repressed an urge to flip the game-table over. "You could've come back whenever? We thought you were dead!"

"Oh yeah. I hadn't thought of that." Jake's eyes never drifted away from the board. He rested his chin on his hand as he considered his next move. "I just didn't want to go through the healing process. That stuff is the worst, and there's no way around it. I'll be back when my body is healthy."

"Well I'm going back."

"I thought you'd want that." Jake moved another game piece. The owl's eyes went wide. It bobbed its head as it considered the board, and leaned over until its face was inched away from the table. It glanced at Jake with a predatory gleam in its eye, and one of the bronze figures knocked his black piece off the board.

Jake grinned in triumph, and grabbed one of his pieces and placed it adjacent to the owl's bronze piece.

"Ha!"

Finn shifted impatiently.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your game, but I need to get out of here! The others need me."

Still grinning, Jake stepped away from the table, and embraced his battle-brother again. "Hey, I'm helping. I've just made sure you won't go back empty-handed. I've got some important information for you to use in the war against Tuliad."

"We'll take all the help we can get, but you're going to come back though, right?" Finn embraced the other man back.

"Totally. You guys wouldn't survive without me."

"It was an honest win, Jake." The owl said, its voice echoing around the chamber. "Use magic against Tuliad."

The Owl began beating its wings. Finn was swept up in the powerful gust of wind that tore him from his feet and sent him spiraling back into the abysm. Images manifested from the inky darkness. He couldn't tell if they were memories, premonitions, dreams, lies, or alternate realities. He saw a mechanical glowing eye staring unblinkingly in the sky of Ooo. He saw Marceline and Bubblegum locked in a perpetual cycle of conflict and romance. He saw the entire world on fire. Finn saw the spirit of the Lich whispering its poison into the Huntress's ear. Saw an army of wizards, vampires, and elementals clashing against a mechanical horde. Then, he saw two parallel images. The mechanical eye staring at a world on fire, and its sister image of the eye pierced by a pure beam of energy. His spirit landed with a jolt, and he groaned as his limbs were weighted down with the return of his body. His spirit struggled against the confines of his physical form for an instant before his heart gave a startled thump and pulsed back to life. Disoriented, he began to suck air into his lungs in great gasps and floundered to sit up.

He was in his bed, surrounded by the shocked faces of his friends. Keila had knocked back her chair and leaped to her feet in astonishment. Bonnie's normally expressionless face was slack with shock. He could see that he'd interrupted them in the middle of an argument.

"Oh my blood!" Finn jumped from the bed waving his arms wildly around him, "I know how to beat Tuliad!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies,
> 
> Chapter 17 is here. It's a little late, and I was tired at the end, so I hope it's not in too rough a shape. Hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Lots of Love
> 
> SoundlessS ❤

 

 

Finn paced around the room, evading the Huntress as she tried to pull him back into bed. Finn's thoughts flowed out of him in an incoherent stream. He slipped away from Huntress' grasp, rambling about empty space, demons, and owls. Bonnie watched him impassively, her arms crossed over her chest.

"An opioid might calm him down." Bonnie said, tracing Finn's progress around the room with her eyes.

"No, you've done enough!" The Huntress glared at Bonnie. "Give him a little time to settle in. He's been through a lot."

"We need wizards! Magic is its weakness! It doesn't understand it, or the things that hide in the Nightosphere!" Finn repeated the words as if they were a mantra to ward off evil.

"Finn Stop!" The Huntress grabbed Finn around the shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Sit down. Let your body catch up with your mind. Give yourself a moment."

"You're right." Finn's tone was uneven, his eyes dilated as they met the Huntress' glowing green eyes. With a slow deliberate breath, Finn lowered himself onto a couch. He focused on his expanding lungs as they took in the earthy scent of the Huntress. In the distance, he could hear animals moving about the bushes, and birds singing in the canopy. He was alive, and surrounded by his friends. "Sorry about that. The experience messed with my head."

"It's cool, take your time." Marceline was leaning against the door, contemplating whether or not to pick him up and tie him to his bed. She stepped around him, as if searching for something no one else could see. Sometimes, when souls wondered out of their bodies they could comeback with something more sinister. "We can relax. He's not possessed. Finn, why don't you sit down and start from the beginning?"

Finn sank down onto the bed, and began telling them of the abysm he'd himself in. He skimmed over the honey-trap the demon had set for him, but explained how it chased him into a nest of monsters. Bonnie gasped, kneeling by Jake's bed and checking his pulse.

"I suppose it's possible he could recover." She said cautiously, and Keila snorted.

"No thanks to you! Good thing cosmic forces seems to care about him more than you."

Marceline glared at both of them, and the argument that was about to spark never ignited. Finn relayed the rest of his story, telling them of how Jake had won a game against the Cosmic Owl and the information was a reward. They would have to rely on magic, and the supernatural.

"This is all very interesting," Bonnie said cautiously, feeling Keila and the Huntress' eyes burrow into her. She chose her words carefully. "However, we don't know if any of it is real or just a byproduct of an donked-up brain."

"He jumped out of his deathbed and stumbled around the room like a drunken human dynamo. It's safe to say there's a greater power at play here." Keila sneered. Still skeptical, Bonnie insisted in examining him. She ran through a few simple cognitive checks. He was fine.

"Relax Bon. We all know there's more to the world than just the physical. We've all met a spirit, demon, or something beyond the natural." Marceline pulled Bonnie away before she could start a new round of physical exams. "Let him have a little space."

"Grod finally helped us." The Huntress embraced Finn, sinking down onto the bed beside him.

"Well, let's not get too crazy just yet." Marceline caught Finn's eyes.

"Yeah. You mentioned something about demons. Could you tell us about that?" Keila gave Finn an appraising look as she walked around him. "Nice, juicy soul like yours probably drew some attention."

"Uh, yeah. Like I said, I was attacked." Finn muttered, his face turning a light shade of pink.

"By what?" Marceline smiled, and shot Finn an inquisitive glance.

"I don't know. Some sort of demon."

"I bet it was an incubus," Keila's said playfully. "Nice boy like you, all alone in a place like that. Someone might take advantage of you."

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"It was!" Marceline pounced, clenching her hands around Finn's shoulders. Her super human grip sent a flare of pain shooting down the length of his arms. "What did it make you dream about? Was I in it?"

Finn averted his gaze and squirmed beneath her grip.

"I was! Finn you horn-dog." Marceline released him and swatted him playfully. "Did you at least buy me cosmic dinner first?"

"I think this qualifies as not letting him get settled in." Bonnie rolled her eyes, and folded her arms over her chest. "Let him rest, he's been through a lot."

"Shit, I forgot the fun police was on patrol." Marceline patted Finn on the shoulder. "You'll have to tell me all about it later, tiger."

Keila caught Marceline's eyes as she stepped away from Finn. Keila laughed quietly at Finn's embarrassment, offering Marceline a nod and a smile. The Vampire Queen felt a wave of warmth and relief in her stomach. She walked over to her friend.

"Are we good?" Marceline said in low voice. Bonnie made a show of turning away from the two vampires, and walking out of earshot.

"Yeah, we're fine." Keila shrugged, her eyes drifting away from Marceline and towards Finn. "This whole thing reminded me of how fragile we all are, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Marceline grimaced. "I've been around forever, and I've never been able to get used to it."

"Is that what keeps you and Bon together?" There was a softness to Keila's voice that Marceline hadn't heard since they first flew together into towards the tower.

"There's more to it than that, but it's a big part of it" Marceline looked over at Bonnie. The Vampire Queen's enhanced senses narrowed onto her. Everything about the disgraced princess was familiar to Marceline. The way Bonnie walked, placing one foot directly in front of the other with her hips swaying to the sides still had a subtle hint of a rehearsed, formal femininity developed over decades of following strict social and bureaucratic protocols. In public, she was a mixture of a wickedly competent leader, and the ideal beautiful princess; in private, Bon was passionate, and even wild at times. This contradiction, and Bonnie's ability to move among mundane and metaphysical noble houses with a preternatural ease had once made Marceline despise her as two-faced. Overtime, she had developed an affinity for Bonnie's ability to meld seamlessly into any social function, and demand respect through ability. She envied that, too often Marceline relied on fear.

"When you get right down to it, it's a combination of respect and an appreciation of just how different we are." Marceline said, her voice was distant.

"Yeah. Different sounds just about right." Keila scoffed.

"Can you stop?"

"Stop what?" Keila scratched the back of her head, and leaned against the wall.

"You're mad, I get that, but we need to work together if we're going to fix this. You can't be at each other's throats." Marceline looked directly at Keila with serene eyes.

This is a request, not a command, Keila thought as she broke eye contact and looked at her feet. Nothing made her feel more childish than when Marceline was acting like the adult in the room. "Yeah. Alright. I'll be civil, but blood doesn't wash off so easily, Marcy. I'll do it for you."

"Thank you. This means a lot to me."


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I needed a break from writing after my semester ended, but I am back! Hope all is well with you guys, and hope you enjoy this. 
> 
> Lots of Love,  
> SoundlessS♥ ❤

Bonnie pinned her hair in an elegant twist at the base of her neck, turning her head to admire her handiwork in the wore a simple black dress that Keila managed to find for her. It had taken the two women a half-hour of rummaging through Marceline's closet before they had found something without studs, safety pins, or plaid for Bonnie to wear. Bonnie ran her palms along the length of the sides, tugging self-consciously at the fabric bunching around her waist loose. Maybe it's a little tight, she thought. Keila had done her best to alter the outfit for her. Shortening the dress had been an easy enough alteration, but fixing the width was beyond their time frame. She supposed it would fit her role for tonight although she had hoped to be a little less exposed.

"Alright Bon, you can do this." she told her reflection, rubbing concealer under the purple shadows beneath her eyes. In the lab, she'd had no need for cosmetics, but here, appearances were important. She and Marceline couldn't afford to get this wrong. So much hung in the balance.

Her stomach clenched, and Bonnie resisted the urge to run an anxious hand through her hair. The stress had kept her from sleeping for more than a few hours each night since they'd escaped from her Tower, and she'd lost her dominion over Ooo. Her stomach clenched again, and she leaned her forehead against the mirror.

Whenever she thought of Tuliad, or her kingdom, a numbness seemed to take over, washing away the dismay, and creating distance between her and reality. Tuliad had taken her station, she was powerless, and she depended on Marceline to take back her throne. She understood these things, but she couldn't feel them. It was like watching an old human film.

She stared at herself in the mirror once more, hardly recognizing herself in the twitchy, red-eyed doppelganger staring back at her. She should have slept, but there had been too much to do in preparation for the summoning of the vampires. Vampires, for all their power, were vain, primal creatures. They didn't need a meeting; they needed a display of authority. Bonnie and Peppermint had spent the evening and night rebuilding some of the old splendor of an abandoned vampire citadel. With such limited time, they had only really been able to rework the main hall where they could receive the vampires. The first of them would arrive within two hours. When they arrived, they would see their citadel restored and their monarchy reformed. Marceline would be the tyrant their natures longed for her to be. It would be a sweet enough lie that, Bonnie hoped, they wouldn't probe the façade. If they succeeded, and Finn and the Huntress managed to bring the wizards into their alliance, they would finally have a force strong enough to counter Tuliad.

I have time. I'll just rest my eyes for few minutes, Bonnie thought, sinking down onto the loveseat behind her, and resting her head against the arm of the chair. She slumped over, and surrendered to her exhaustion. He last thoughts were of Finn and the Huntress, and if they had reached Wizard-City safely.

***********************

"Wake up!" Keila shook Bonnie from her sleep.

"What time is it?" Bon mumbled, and propped herself up on her elbows. A rush of anxiety pushed away drowsiness, and focused her mind. "Are they already here?"

"Yes, the first of them arrived fifteen minutes ago. Rise and shine, princess." Keila crossed her arms over her chest.

Bonnie stood up, and began to touch up her appearance. She'd slept far more than she wanted to. As she stood up, Bonnie regarded Keila. She looked incredible; sporting just the right mix of professionalism, and post-punk. Keila wore a collared, military jacket with tassels on the shoulders, and studs adorning the entire right side. She was every bit the handsome, dutiful retainer. When Bon regarded herself in the mirror, she realized that her nap had undone much of the work she'd done.

"Here let me help." Keila sighed, and reached for a comb left on Bonnie's mirror. Carefully, the Vampire began working the comb through the other woman's hair. "Couldn't pick a better time to fall asleep, could you?"

"I was tired." The word's escaped Bonnie's mouth before she could stop herself. Keila's touch felt cold, and alien. They've been sparring with each other since Keila and Marceline returned from the Tower. Every word they'd said to each other had been dripping with contempt.

"Marceline is by herself in the hall. Let's get you out there." Keila ran a hand across Bonnie's bangs, brushing the hair away from the former princess's face. "I'd be surprised if she hasn't killed someone in the time I was gone."

"She's not so bad."

"Yeah, if she doesn't think you're a threat, she's just peachy." Keila grinned, shaking her head. "Challenge her just a little bit, and she'll tear your head clean off. It's a circus of posturing down there."

There was a silence between the two women. It felt heavy and oppressive.

"Keila, it's not that I don't appreciate you helping me get ready, but why are you being nice to me now?" The words rushed out of Bonnie's mouth. She had felt the need to fill the silence with something, anything.

"Can we walk and talk about this?" Keila sighed, putting down the brush and regarding her handiwork. "Think we're done anyways, and we'll have a lot more work to do if Marceline has killed someone."

"Sure."

The two women walked into the hallway, and began making their way towards the reception hall. Silence hung between them.

"So why are you being so pleasant all of a sudden?" Bonnie asked, glancing at the other woman.

"You talk in your sleep." Keila kept her eyes locked on the hall before her, "I needed to hear those things. I needed to hear the regret in your voice. You're good at hiding your feelings, Bonnie. Sometimes, that woman of steel mask you wear is a little too convincing."

"I see."

"I should've talked to you sooner, but I wanted to be angry. It was easier to blame you. I mean, it's still your fault, but regret changes it. It makes you not a monster."

The two women walked in silence. The muffled sound of voices began drifting down the hallway in the other room.

Bonnie stopped, and Keila finally and met her gaze.

"Thank you for talking to me about it now." Bonnie said.

"Glad to clear the air." Keila smiled.

They stood there for a moment, unable to decide if the conversation was over. Bonnie reached out and fixed part a part of Keila's jacket that had gotten wrinkled.

"Welp, we should probably get in there before Marceline takes off all her clothes or something." Keila nodded towards the door.

"It's too early. She won't be so affectionate until she's good and drunk. Probably more likely to punch someone right now."

"That's probably true." Keila laughed, and she pushed the door open. The noise of the reception hall flooded over them. There were hundreds of Vampires talking, and laughing. Their clothes ranged from the ancient to the avant-garde. At the center of it stood Marceline, surrounded by Vampires, who all spoke at the same time. Marceline's eyes were wide and wild, like an animal trying to find an escape route. Marcy's face shifted into relief when she saw Bonnie, and began waving her over. Bonnie's stride changed into the confident, proud walk of someone powerful. She fell into the role naturally.

"Mistress, I'm sorry to interrupt you. There's something that requires your attention." Bonnie put on her best smile. The Vampires turned and regarded her with confusion. A couple of them seemed to recognize her, and gave Marceline feral, triumphant smile.

"Yeah, totally. Let's go do that thing." Marceline nearly fled from the vampires. Bonnie smiled at the group and linked her arm with Marceline's

"Relax. Don't let it get to you." Bonnie whispered into Marceline's ear.

"It's just they're all staring at me as it I knew what we're doing. I don't know what we're doing. There's no plan besides not getting murdered by robots." Marceline glanced around the room.

"Take it easy. I guarantee they're just as scared as we all are. They need to think you're a leader. Let them think you got this under control even if you don't."

"I've never been good at this sort of shit."

"No, and it's ok. I'll help you through it." Bonnie steered Marceline through groups of fears. Together, they cajoled, comforted, and threatened the capricious creatures around them into compliance. By the end of the night, Marceline was a proper queen again.

"Glob, I love watching you work sometimes." Marceline purred into Bonnie's ear, and pulled the other woman off her feet. They were close. Bonnie was almost straddling Marceline's hips.

"I'm glad to be of service, my queen." Bonnie made sure her words reached the vampires around her before dropping her tone quiet enough only Marceline could hear her. "Keep it together, Marcy. We can celebrate after."

"Right, right." Marceline shook her head, and pushed down the primordial urges gnawing at her reason. She lowered Bonnie down to her feet. Pretending to be a tyrant was slowly activating dominant parts of her mind that Marceline thought were gone. It felt natural to be a tyrant.

A loud bang of the doors main hall being flung against stone work rang above the room. A phalanx of tall, bald, powerfully-built vampires pushed their way through the assembled vampires. They wore heavy, straight-laced boots and suspenders. Their leader stood a head taller than all the others. His body was huge, powerful, and cruel. He smiled at Marceline, and she heard his voice inside of her mind.

Regicide, the voice inside of Marceline's head seemed to say. His name is Regicide.


End file.
